Mitcham Council

Mr DULUK (Waite) (15:35): Today, I rise to voice my community's concern over what has happened at Mitcham council for the last 12 months. We have just come through the first 12 months of a new council and many ratepayers are just relieved to be getting to Christmas and feel lucky that the community is still there and surprised that Mitcham is in one piece. You may ask why, sir.

It is disappointing that we have seen repeated attacks by this council on the community that elected them. It appears that, when they are not trying to cancel Christmas, they are pushing for more subdivision powers that would replace our green streets and gardens with concreted driveways and wall to wall houses. Mitcham council's recent push to allow 250 square metre blocks is greatly concerning for me and many in my community, as Adelaide has gradually seen a loss of green canopy over the years.

As our climate warms, we need to be growing our green canopy to combat urban hotspots and provide relief and amenity, not advocating for policies that would see trees ripped up. The push for more subdivisions would also clog our backstreets with cars, making congestion and road safety worse, especially in Blackwood and Belair. In my view, it is an attempt to raise rate revenue at the community's expense, and it should be called out for the greedy cash grab that it is. Sadly, that greed has become a theme with this council, as earlier this year we saw the council pass the highest rate rise in metropolitan Adelaide at 3.67 per cent.

The unprecedented hip pocket raid was under the guise of providing better services, yet we have not seen any remarkable increase in service to my community. In fact, we have seen a reduction in services with the Christmas carols debacle, whereby Mitcham council voted to can their annual well-attended carols event. That heartless attack on the community spirit was in part justified by some concern over the offence that the event might cause people of other faiths, yet no councillor or the mayor has been able to provide one example of someone coming forward with a complaint over the annual Christmas carols.

The decision, which has been reversed after a national outcry and to much embarrassment of council, was an attempt to sacrifice our traditions in our community at the altar of misplaced political correctness. I am so glad to say that this Saturday, in a couple of days' time, the carols are going ahead at Kingswood Oval. It tells the story of a council whose leadership is grossly out of touch with the community it is meant to represent. It is a council that has raised rates by 3.67 per cent, wanted to cancel our annual Christmas carols and, of course, now wants to see subdivision where block sizes in my communities can be as small as 250 square metres.

The story worsened this week when the council refused to commit funding in support of the Unley Jets Kingswood Oval upgrade. The Unley Jets is one of the fastest growing football clubs in South Australia, with over 30 teams and many new female teams as well. This year, it won the Amateur League Club of the Year and the A grade is going back up to division 1. At the 2018 election, the Marshall Liberal government committed $100,000 towards the upgrade, and the club also received $500,000 in federal funding from member for Boothby, Nicolle Flint.

The possibility of a further significant grant from the state as part of our sports grants fund is on the table, but this community club was hoping that Mitcham council would also come to the party with a contribution to complement existing funding to further enhance the case for co-contribution from the Office for Recreation and Sport, which is so needed.

Their hopes were dashed this week when council offered a paltry $25,000 in funding towards the total upgrade—this is for a club that has already secured some $600,000 in funding from state and federal governments. Adding further insult to this very real offence is the fact that Kingswood Oval is actually owned by Mitcham council, yet they refuse to invest in their own facilities as well as the players and families who use them.

The Marshall Liberal government has committed to the electorate of Waite when it comes to sports funding, and that is so important. As a government we have invested in the Blackwood Football Club, Hewett Reserve is having a fantastic upgrade at the moment (by the way, a facility owned by the Mitcham council), the Blackwood Bowling Club has received funding from our government, the Coromandel Valley cricket club and, of course, the Unley Jets. This is in addition to the other investments in our community, including $20 million to fix the Main Road corridor through the Mitcham Hills and $60 million for the Fullarton Road-Cross Road intersection.

The state government is looking after the people of Mitcham. The federal government is looking after the people of Mitcham. I want the Mitcham council to look after the people of Mitcham.