The only thing which stands between us and the barbarism of, say, an LA-style urban sprawl is regulation of property development via a planning sytem. And that planning system is kept honest not by the wayward whims of politicians but by the force of residents wanting to keep their backyard liveable, even beautiful.

Planning regulation is not a sexy subject, especially when you get down to the minutiae of control plans at local government level, but it is important to our welfare. A chance to have our say on the NSW planning system – what system? you might ask – is upon us and two high-powered ex-pollies are heading our way to hear it.

Former NSW environment minister Tim Moore (Liberal) and former NSW public works minister Ron Dyer (Labor) are on a ‘listening tour’ as part of the O’Farrell government’s current planning system review. They will lob into Ballina RSL on Thursday September 29 and Murwillumbah Services Club on Friday September 30. Sessions will be held at both venues at 3pm–5pm and 6pm–7.30pm.

Both Moore and Dyer have been known for intelligent thought and hopefully will hear you while they’re listening. Whether this translates into any real legislative action by the government is debatable, but one must try.

The obvious things to lobby for in Byron Shire are greater emphasis on affordable housing and protection of the storey limit successfully imposed by Council in its local environmental plans. One of the few good things instituted by the former Labor government was the designation in its regional plan of Byron Shire as a low-growth area, and that’s certainly worth preserving.

Once Dyer and Moore are done listening, options will be outlined in a Green Paper followed by a legislative framework in a White Paper, resulting hopefully in the overhaul of the thoroughly rorted and reamed-out Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979. Follow the action at www.planningreview.nsw.gov.au.