House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2011-07-07 Daily Xml

Contents

30-YEAR PLAN FOR GREATER ADELAIDE

Mr PICCOLO (Light) (15:31): On 17 February 2010 the previous minister for urban development and planning (Hon. Paul Holloway) launched a final report of the 30-year plan. Since that date the plan has generated and received a great deal of commentary, both positive and negative.

The 30-year plan will have a significant presence in my own electorate of Light. The areas of Playford Alive, Angle Vale, Munno Para West, Munno Para Downs, southern Gawler, Gawler East, Concordia and Roseworthy are all within my electorate. At the moment there are a number of ministerial and local council DPAs to give effect to parts of these developments.

In terms of the Roseworthy development, there is both a residential component and employment lands—some of it is designed to be put onstream between now and 15 years, and a second portion between 15 and 30 years. I recently led a tour of the electorate for a range of community, business and education leaders and local media.

The purpose of the tour of the electorate was to give the 30-year plan greater context. It will usher in some significant changes for the electorate. The changes do not have to be negative. In fact, the plan has created a sense of renewal in many sections of the community, but the plan needs to be implemented carefully and have proper regard for the needs of the relevant communities and the people.

Done well they will add to the financial sustainability of local government and the communities in the area they serve; done poorly we will burden future generations with huge infrastructure costs. I have spoken on a number of occasions in this place about the various elements of the 30-year plan. Today I wish to highlight the proposed Roseworthy development and place on record the issues that I believe need to be addressed if the development is to proceed.

I have previously raised concerns about the general DPA process, as well as other DPAs. I am happy to say that these concerns have been addressed in the current process underway in my electorate. I am aware that the Light Regional Council has established a government structure to ensure transparency and accountability of the structure planning and DPA process for Roseworthy.

I am satisfied that the council has endeavoured to make the process as transparent and accountable as possible. My concerns lie in two areas: first, the provision of Just-in-Time infrastructure; and, secondly, the provision of Just-in-Time employment. Infrastructure will require major investment by the developer or developers and appropriate support from state and local government.

Accordingly, both state and local government will need to know the extent of the infrastructure required to ensure that the future budgets cater for it. In particular, it is my view that both public transport and road transport need to be fully planned and budgeted for before any DPA is authorised to enable the development to go ahead. The proposed train and complementary transport services need to be agreed to before the development gets the green light. Equally, agreement needs to be reached on the location and construction of the north-eastern connector for Gawler to ensure that east-west traffic generated by the Roseworthy development does not engulf Gawler.

For communities to be sustainable, they require a level of local employment opportunities. In my view, any residential DPA for Roseworthy must be simultaneously complemented by an Employment Lands DPA. People will need jobs locally. The investment process that leads to employment is generally longer than a residential DPA, so an Employment Lands DPA must be central to any structural planning for the Roseworthy development. It cannot be an add-on or an afterthought.

A central factor of the 30-year-plan is to ensure that we have appropriate zoned and serviced land that would accommodate whatever growth we have over the next 29 years. It is imperative that we get right the first steps we take in the development of Roseworthy. Time and reflection should not be sacrificed.