Stars lead planning laws rally in Sydney

Actors, comedians and TV and radio personalities have joined MPs and angry residents
in staging a mock funeral in protest at the NSW government's planning laws.
About 300 people took part in the procession, which included mock coffins and
wreaths, that marched on the gates of NSW parliament to mark what protesters claims
is the death of democracy at the hands of the laws.
The protesters say too many planning decisions are being taken out of the hands of
local communities and instead given to the office of the Planning Minister Kristina
Keneally.
The rally, organised by residents of Ku-ring-gai in Sydney's north, called for a
halt on all major development approvals until an inquiry is held into the state's
planning process.
Ms Keneally was the only MP officially invited to Sunday's event but she declined
the invitation, with her name bringing jeers from the rally at each mention.
Actor Michael Caton, comedian and author Wendy Harmer, musician Richard Clapton, TV
host Catriona Rowntree and radio personality Jono Coleman lent their high profile
names to the cause.
"Kristina is meant to be the minister for planning," Coleman told the rally.
"(Instead), she's the minister for development."
Many Ku-ring-gai residents are angry about high-rise and high-density development in
their area and while they organised the event it was also attended by people living
near other contentious developments.
This included people opposing developments in Sydney's Double Bay, Wollongong as
well as in Catherine Hill Bay and the Tillegra Dam in the Hunter.
Caton, who played the role of Darryl Kerrigan - the man who fought the government to
save his home in the hit comedy The Castle - told the rally he'd been a Labor
supporter his whole life.
But he said the current planning process in NSW meant he now felt that "something is
rotten in the state of NSW".
Organisers did not allow MPs to speak to the rally as they did not wish to
politicise the event, although several, including outgoing former federal opposition
leader Brendan Nelson took part.
Opposition Leader Barry O'Farrell, who also joined the protest down Macquarie
Street, said the coalition would overhaul the state's planning system if it wins
government in 2011.
"Unlike Labor, we trust people and want to empower them to make decisions," Mr
O'Farrell said in a statement.
"We also believe that local decision-making delivers better results from communities."
This includes scrapping Part 3A of the state's planning legislation, which gives the
planning minister power to take over significant developments.