Penang Forum calls for suspension of high-rise projects
GEORGE TOWN: Participants of a forum held here have passed a resolution urging the state government to impose a moratorium on high-rise and high density development.
The participants of Penang Forum 4, which numbered about 80, wants the moratorium to be in place until the Local Plans for the state were approved by the public.
They also called upon the state to institute a more participatory planning process which is by organising a series of workshops to educate and engage the public on draft Local Plans prior to their approval.
Other resolutions passed were to ask the state to address and resolve the problems of the various residents associations, especially by implementing independent social, environmental and traffic impact assessments for new projects.
The participants, comprising students, members of non-governmental organisations and members of the public, want the development process in Penang to be holistic and sustainable.
They urged the state government and both the Penang and Seberang Prai municipal councils to implement a planned and more systematic development in the state.
They also urged the state to formulate land-use and land reclamation policies to ensure that the state maintains effective control over land-use planning besides protecting its long-term financial interests to serve the best interests of ordinary Penangites, in particular the marginalised and vulnerable groups.
They want the state to formulate innovative yet prudent independent fiscal policies that will allow the state/local government to generate and conserve financial resources for projects that would bring about the maximum long-term benefit to local communities.
Two more resolutions are for the state to address the poor integration of transport within the town planning and land-use planning policies and to ensure the prompt enforcement of legislation for the violation of any laws or by-laws.
The one-day forum, titled Development and Good Governance, was held at the Caring Society Complex here on Sunday. It was orga-nised by Penang Forum, a coalition of public-interest civil society groups based in Penang.
Source: The Star
Penang state needs to replace traffic junctions traffic lights with overhead
bridges to ease the heavy traffic congestion.To impose such a moratorium
the properties prices will go up whether you like it or not.You are trying to
slow down developments.It won’t help the marginalised and vulnerable
groups. Ordinary working people need decent incomes ( higher wages ) to
meet today rising cost of living.
By employing foreigners is the first step in keeping the wages low and stagnant.
Everyone is affected, even employers in the long run. It’s only a short term gains.
Penang need to be flooded with more high-rise projects so that supply can meet demand and help to stabilise the escalating prices and reduce the intense speculations going on… if not it will get worse, think about it
with more high-rise in the pipelines, demand & supply will eventually reach equilibrium …. that’s when the tide will start to turn … and then it will become a BUYERS market .. good lor
Penang island is squeezed between hilly landscapes and the flat landscape, which is the Unesco heritage site that cannot be demolished. It is compounded further by vast good tract of slopes being occupied by cemetries.
What are the alternatives if high-rise projects are not allowed? Do away with the cemetries like what happened in Singapore? Revoke our Unesco title by tearing down all the dilapidated pre-war houses? Or simply let the property prices shoot thro the roof?
The participants of the forum should give a viable suggestion instead of blindly reject developement.