DAVID Hunt said the first thing he would have done if he had been elected to the council would have been to have stopped the extension of Sydney's urban sprawl. He wasn't elected, but he still wants to stop that sprawl.

``It's already begun and developers are planning the next assault on large tracts of land they already own,'' he said.

``A future strategy for Wollondilly must be shown to be in Sydney's best interests and be sanctioned by the Planning Department.''

Mr Hunt said the plan would need to include proposals that reduced the transport cost of Sydney's food supply by increasing the amount of fresh food coming from the shire.

``Reducing Sydney's travel distance by establishing Wollondilly as a recreation destination for Sydney day trippers and holidaymakers and promoting the natural assets within the shire is also important,'' he said.

``I'm calling on the new council to commission its own planning section to build on existing strategies and put in place shirewide plans which confine future growth to expanded boundaries of existing towns and encourage subsidies to ensure an increase in food production and other rural and recreational pursuits on remaining rural land.''

Mr Hunt said he believed a combined approach with other local councils would help convince the State Government of the unsustainability of Sydney's expansion proposals.

``Then Sydney planners may realise the need for fixed area limits to Sydney and ultimately limits to Sydney's population,'' he said.

``A revamp of the old decentralisation proposals through NSW would be the next logical step. We must have a co-operative process where the council planners produce strategies and plans and can expect to be supported by their councillors in the implementation of those plans. Supporting subdivisions contrary to those plans, as occurred during the last council, should be prevented.''