I am getting a bit fed up with the debate around Barangaroo

Is anyone else getting a bit fed up with the continuing debate around the proposed Barangaroo development?  The furore is intense and opinions massively divided.  Highly desirable, demand driven, community focussed, environmental leader. Too high, too wide, too much shadow, unnecessary, environmentally irresponsible.  

As a Sydneysider I want the integrity of the Harbour to be preserved but I also feel our great city should aim to be a leader in design and innovation.  As a father I’m conscious of how actions today can impact the environment of my children. So should we be looking to urban sprawl or advocating higher density? As a real estate agent I understand the premiums paid for highly desirable harbourfront properties – and the desire of existing property owners to protect the integrity of those properties.  As a businessman I know that good office space in the right location with the right layout is critical and I know that’s becoming increasingly hard to find in the Sydney CBD. As a real estate agent, father and Sydneysider I also understand the true value of community and communal spaces on the Harbour foreshore.

It is undoubtedly a complicated issue but it’s the politics that I find most frustrating. Decisions need to be made as a result of genuine debate based on clear facts. Of course the final outcome will not please everybody but the process needs to be transparent. 

From where I sit Lend Lease are putting all their cards on the table. So too are those who oppose the development such as the Barangaroo Action Group.  The confusion starts when you try to determine which government, council, authority or Minister has the final say!  Just yesterday there was an article on questioning the authority to approve aspects of the development. Are our politicians desperate to claim ownership, pass the buck or simply muddy the waters sufficiently so at the appropriate time, depending on the community response they can do both!!