Blogawler

Well it looks as though residents of Lyndoch Rd don’t like the idea of those tens of thousands of car movements a day past their front doors!

We’ve heard a rumour that a major national developer has lodged caveats over land at Gawler East!

Mark Parnell MLC has issued a press release on the Gawler meeting – thanks Mark!:

The State Government’s plans to expand the Urban Growth Boundary will be forced on local councils against the wishes of local residents, says Mark Parnell, Greens MLC and planning lawyer.

Mark Parnell attended a public meeting last night in Gawler organised by residents concerned about the proposed changes. The meeting was told that once the Boundary has been changed, the Minister will rezone the land to allow new subdivisions and housing. Whilst councils and residents will be “consulted”, under the Development Act, there is no process to challenge or appeal against a ministerial re-zoning.

“If local communities or their councils do not want to be part of the Government’s urban sprawl policies, they will be powerless to stop it.

“Last year, Councils were asked to give up their role in assessing individual development applications so they could focus more time and energy on developing good planning rules. Now the government is pre-empting the outcomes of Council processes and imposing its own agenda of growth and sprawl.

“The ability of local communities to determine the size, amenity and environmental quality of their neighbourhoods will be sacrificed as the government succumbs to the development industry’s insatiable appetite for new land.

“Adelaide is already one of the most sprawling and inefficient cities in the world and the Government shows little intention of turning this around,” Mr Parnell said.