GREATER MOUNT GAMBIER MASTER PLAN

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (14:41): I seek leave to make an explanation prior to asking the Leader of the Government a question about the growing concern at the minister's controversial decisions in relation to planning in Mount Gambier.

Leave granted.

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: There is growing concern at the controversial decision the minister recently made in relation to zoning and planning issues in Mount Gambier. The respected local newspaper, the Border Watch, today has a front-page story with the prominent headline 'Mayoral blast—External influences blamed for minister's decision to rezone land'. The article quotes the Mayor of Mount Gambier, Mr Steve Perryman, flagging concerns about the decisions. The minister will be aware that part of the Northern Gateway precinct land included a proposal for a Big W, a Woolworths and other retail outlets, although I understand there is not currently a development application in relation to that proposition.

The minister's master plan, which he released on 28 February, envisages retail and commercial development in this Northern Gateway precinct. However, at the same time (and this is one of the controversial aspects of his decisions), the minister released a ministerial development plan which rezoned all that land as 'deferred urban'. As the minister knows, I asked a question on this matter earlier in the week and he did provide some information. However, by way of clarification, is the minister stating that it is the government's policy that, even though he has rezoned that land 'deferred urban', it is possible that the Big W and Woolworths proposal can still be considered by the Mount Gambier City Council and that, if it was to meet all the required approvals, that proposal for a Big W and a Woolworths could proceed in the Northern Gateway precinct?

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY (Minister for Police, Minister for Mineral Resources Development, Minister for Urban Development and Planning) (14:44): Incidentally, the Border Watch was actually quoting the question asked by the Hon. Rob Lucas last week. What I have indicated to the council—and I indicated this in my answer when I was asked the question the other day—is that the interim ministerial development plan amendment in relation to the Northern Gateway with respect to deferring that land was simply a holding operation. The council is moving to rezone the Northern Gateway in accordance (well, I believe it is in accordance; it remains to be seen whether it is in accordance) with the Mount Gambier Master Plan.

As I said in my answer the other day, I have now determined that there is no reason that that cannot proceed simultaneously with the process that is necessary to rezone the land as deferred urban. Once the council gets its new development plan amendment into operation, that reflects the master plan and then I can remove the ministerial development plan amendment, the interim action which was tabled earlier today, which is acting as a holding operation. Once the council rezones it, I will support it, providing that it is consistent with the master plan. Then I will be happy to—

The Hon. R.I. Lucas: Is it possible?

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY: At the moment, as I said, it is a holding operation. The reason I brought in the development plan amendment for the Northern Gateway was so that there would be no further applications under the existing zoning, which is not compatible with the zoning that is proposed under the master plan. I think the proposal the honourable member was talking about, or certainly the one that is being considered, is for bulky goods, which I understand—

The Hon. R.I. Lucas interjecting:

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY: If it is for bulky goods (and I think that is the application), the master plan does not support it. Essentially, the argument, as I understand it, comes down to this: Grant council and Mount Gambier council had different ideas about where bulky goods should go and, as a result of negotiations (over 12 months) on the Mount Gambier Master Plan, it was agreed that there would be a zoning out on the western gateway.

The Hon. R.I. Lucas interjecting:

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY: They came to see me. I had a meeting with both mayors and the CEs back in September or October last year. Certainly, at that stage, when the draft plan was out, there was agreement. However, the debate has been: where should bulky goods go, or where should any major retail area (out of the city) be? Should it be on the western entrance or the northern entrance? Essentially, that is the debate.

The Hon. R.I. Lucas interjecting:

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY: There can be competition but what we want—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY: There should not be competition between councils. What we want is competition between retailers–that we do want. However, we do not want competition between councils which are competing to remove the values of the community. Rather, we want a joint plan. We want council to work out where, in the best interests of the residents of the town, the bulky goods precinct, or the commercial precinct, should be.

Because a development application had been lodged and because that application was, at least prima facie, complying with the current zoning, but it was incompatible with what was envisaged under the master plan, that is why I introduced the interim zoning of deferred urban. That would give the Mount Gambier council time to get its rezoning in, so that it can rezone that area commercial or whatever, providing it is consistent with the master plan. As I have indicated to the council, I will be happy to do whatever I can to ensure that it happens as speedily as possible.

It is my wish that the intention of the Mount Gambier Master Plan be given effect in the respective development plans as quickly as possible. However, if I had not taken the action of this interim rezoning, this holding operation as deferred urban, there could have been a number of applications that could have involved further bulky goods which the master plan does not support.

It is not my vision for Mount Gambier that I am protecting here; rather, it is the vision in the master plan that was developed that came out of the process involving Planning SA, the District Council of Grant and the Mount Gambier council. It is that which I am seeking to protect. That really is the background to it, and that is why I took the action. As I said the other day, I make no apology for protecting the integrity of the plan.

The Hon. R.I. Lucas interjecting:

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY: If the honourable member wants to do something for the people of Mount Gambier, a number of other observers have suggested that it would be a good idea if the councils merged and had a joint vision for the town. It is not up to me. This government is not going to force councils to amalgamate, but what we can do at the very least, and what I intend to do as planning minister, is to ensure that on planning their city they work together to ensure that it is the best outcome for that city.