Make authorities accountable

Former Highland Towers folk: Make authorities accountable

[...] They want Section 95 of the Act to be removed as the legislature protects the approving authorities of development projects from personal liability.

Highland Towers owners and residents committee chairman Dr Benjamin George said the law had to be changed so that it protected the public.

“The Act actually pertains to the city and town, not to hillslopes. In the ordinary sense, whatever they (local councils) do is with good intentions. So if something untoward happens, they shouldn’t be held responsible. That is very reasonable.

“But the same law cannot be applied to hillslopes. The law must be changed and these persons must be held responsible,” he said.

He added that developers should stop pressuring the authorities to approve their projects.

“They (developers) have people with influence and they push. Even if they (state officers) don’t want to, they will be pressured (to approve),” he said.[read more]

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