Submission from Richard Jackson-Hope

General Manager
City of Blue Mountains
Civic Square
KATOOMBA NSW 2780
06.01.2010

Dear Sir,

Proposed Development Application by BWS a subsidiary of Woolworths in the township of Springwood New South Wales file number X/1079/2009

There is a view amongst the academics and social workers in Australia that the youth in our society are extremely vulnerable to what are accepted social habits of the grownups.

Drug and alcohol abuse by the youth of this country has escalated at an alarming rate and the alarm bells are ringing in some quarters that there is a social detachment by our youth and deep underlying mental health problems as a result of drug and alcohol abuse.

Governments of State / National and Local Government should be about setting priorities and focusing on the health and well being of all citizens who reside within the set boundaries.

Far too much emphasis has been placed on economic growth and market freedom by past and present governments in the area of liquor reform.

We have a situation in New South Wales and in other states and territories of Australia where corporate dominance and deregulation of the liquor industry is having a dreadful toll on family life and in particular the youth of this country.

There were unforeseen consequences when the Carr government freed up the transfer process for liquor licences.

Both Woolworths and Coles have taken advantage of the changes to expand and gain a massive share of the liquor market.

There is a classic situation of over servicing by the liquor industry in Springwood where a development application is before the Blue Mountains City Council to approve another retail packaged liquor outlet for BSW a subsidiary of Woolworths when with in a five (5) kilometre radius of the town centre there are nine (9) over the counter and packaged liquor outlets.

There are four (4) liquor outlets within 500 metres of the proposed outlet and this is not counting the four (4) licensed restaurants.

The law no longer requires an applicant for a liquor licence to demonstrate an unmet need and the applicant can transfer a licence from any where in the state of New South Wales.

These outlets have become a social curse not only in this state but through out Australian and the easy access to alcohol in a contributing factor to domestic violence and under aged drinking and its unwanted social consequences.

It is also unreasonable for front line police to be exposed to the violence created by anti social behaviour due to alcohol fuel violence where during the last twelve months it has been reported that 3000 police have been injured when attending to these incidents.

1. Pursuant to the provisions of Section 79C(1)(b) of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979, the application document fails to provide a sufficiently detailed assessment of the possible Social Impacts of the proposed development on the local Springwood and surrounding communities.
2. Pursuant to the provisions of Section 79C(1)(b) of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979, The current application document fails to satisfied the community that approval of the development would not result in an adverse social impact within the Springwood area and surrounding communities.
3. Pursuant to the provisions of Section 79C(1)(e) of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979, there is a view within the community that there is a case to be made that approval of the development would set an undesirable precedent for similar inappropriate development and therefore could not to be seen to be in the community interests.

The citizens of Springwood are saying "enough is enough" and the attached petitions and copies of news paper articles is an indication of community feeling towards the granting of a development application by the Blue Mountains City Council to the Woolworths subsidiary BWS.

I appeal to you as the senior manager of the City of Blue Mountains and through you to the elected member of the city not to grant this application for the reasons expressed in this letter and in the petitions.

Yours faithfully

Richard Jackson-Hope

P.O. Box 14
BLAXLAND NSW 2774
aro@pnc.com.au 0409 644 210