Undermining Sydney's food security

In the SMH this morning ("How do you cook Kellyville max?"), Elizabeth Farrelly points out that by creating the North West growth centre from Mulgrave to Bidwell, the NSW govt is encouraging developers to pave over Sydney's best food-growing lands.

Sydney is expecting maybe a million blow-ins over coming decades (though figures are revised downwards all the time) and they have to live somewhere. But here? In Sydney's vegie basket?

At the same time the Public Service Association reports that, following the recent resignation of Minister Craig Knowles, the NSW Government has decided to split the Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Natural Resources (DIPNR) in two. Ian McDonald will become Minister for Natural Resources (he's also Minister for Primary Industries) and Frank Sartor will take control of Planning. Should be interesting to see what strange policies will be borne of that arrangement.