IT IS so good to see and feel the sun after our days of cold weather, grey clouds and seven and a half centimetres of snow. Our recent experience with truly cold weather serves to remind us how important the sun is to us, especially in the depths of a typical Orange winter.
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Without the sun there could be no life as we know it on earth. The planet would be a giant ball of ice. We rely on the sun's energy for the process of photosynthesis in plants to provide us with food.
The sun warms our houses, our bodies and our hearts. The sun allows our bodies to produce serotonin, the body's happy drug. It also allows us to process vitamin D and produce melatonin, to help us sleep.
Many primitive societies recognised the life giving properties of the sun and worshipped it accordingly. Many ancient civilisations recognised the sun through such gods as Apollo the sun god of the ancient Greeks and Ra the sun god of the ancient Egyptians.
Getting with the plan
Modern societies such as our own recognise the importance of sunlight through the establishment of planning guidelines such as the local development control plan (DCP). Orange's development control plan articulates the conditions to which developers, homeowners and builders should adhere when considering solar access to properties. Unfortunately these guidelines are guidelines only, and are not legally binding, leaving them open to inconsiderate developers who seek to maximise the financial return ahead of the physical and environmental wellbeing of others.
As recently pointed out in the CWD editorial of July 9 “Bring poor decisions out into the sunlight” there are not only inconsiderate individuals who seek variations to the DCP guidelines, but also Orange councillors who support these actions by waving through development applications that are obviously in contravention of the DCP planning outcomes, as pointed out by council staff.
Sustainable resource
This is particularly upsetting when one takes into consideration the fact that sunlight is not just an issue of lifestyle, health and amenity. Modern trends now place emphasis on solar access as an issue of sustainability. Householders are increasingly regarding the sun as an important resource.
More people are consciously orienting houses on their blocks to take advantage of the sun for passive solar energy for heating purposes. They are relying on good access to solar energy for photovoltaic solar panels and solar hot water systems. More people are growing some of their own food, which requires at least six hours of full sunlight. Intelligent use of sunlight can reduce the individual's carbon footprint as well as his electricity and fresh food bills. Therefore to deny solar access in a world where increasingly a sustainable lifestyle is seen as important can be seen as the denial of a basic right.
Many thanks to the CWD editorial for highlighting this issue, and many thanks to councillor Neil Jones and other members of council who are prepared recognise the importance of a householder's right to light.. Our local development control plan allows for appropriate solar access, which, if followed, provides us with the opportunity to take advantage of a free renewable resource.
