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Legislative Council - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2009-07-15 Daily Xml
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MOUNT BARKER

The Hon. B.V. FINNIGAN (14:50): My question is to the Leader of the Government and Minister for Urban Development and Planning. Will the minister provide details of the implications for Mount Barker with the 30-year plan and whether there have been any misconceptions about the proposed rezoning of some of the areas on the outskirts of the town?

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY (Minister for Mineral Resources Development, Minister for Urban Development and Planning, Minister for Small Business) (14:50): Directing the expected population growth in the Adelaide Hills towards Mount Barker is one of the policies contained within the draft 30-Year Plan for Greater Adelaide. One of the objectives of that plan is to channel growth into major townships, whether they be Mount Barker or Roseworthy, and that will ease much of the pressure to develop smaller townships. At the same time, the plan aims to place a check on urban sprawl by directing most of the population growth within the existing urban growth boundary. The government's objective is to have up to 70 per cent of the growth in housing contained within the boundary and 30 per cent in growth areas, which would be an improvement on the current mix of about 50 per cent infill and 50 per cent in the fringe areas.

The plan also acknowledges that there will still be a demand for people to live in the Adelaide Hills which will not be met by the existing supply of housing. The 30-year plan envisages that only 13,000 new dwellings will be needed in the combined Adelaide Hills and Murray Bridge region to house an additional 29,000 residents. That is a growth rate in the Adelaide Hills and Murray Bridge region of fewer than 1,000 residents a year for the next three decades. This a small proportion of the 560,000 new residents—about 5 per cent in total—that will need to be accommodated within Greater Adelaide during the next 30 years.

Many of those new dwellings will be concentrated in Mount Barker and Murray Bridge. By concentrating new residents in these regional centres, the 30-year plan helps to constrain growth in the smaller towns and villages in a way that protects their distinct heritage and character. The plan acknowledges that Mount Barker is already one of our fastest growing regional centres and requires specific structural planning to cater for the expected increase in demand for health, education, transport and services such as power, water and sewerage.

Research work by planners and the Grants Commission suggests that, through orderly growth, the regional centres can become self-sustaining and move beyond their initial development as commuter towns. That means that, while the initial growth at Mount Barker was led by commuters travelling to the city, the township will eventually grow to a size where much of the employment of those living in the area will be generated within the region.

The rezoning process for Mount Barker has already begun, with the Department of Local Government and Planning working closely with the District Council of Mount Barker. Consultation with the council has been invaluable in reflecting the genuine concerns of the Mount Barker community while identifying appropriate areas for development. This has allowed us to secure open space, including a $1 million grant from the government to assist the $4.95 million purchase of about 37 hectares of land on the town's outskirts to be set aside for sporting fields and other recreation.

As a result of this close collaboration with the council, the proposed expansion at Mount Barker will not encroach on the green curtain entrance to the town from Bald Hills Road but will focus on the area south of Springs Road. So, rather than threaten high value, high production farmland, the rezoning preserves areas such as the Brussels sprout farm and instead focuses on less productive land currently used for agistment and hobby farms and some grazing on the southern outskirts of the town.

The Hon. D.W. Ridgway: I like Brussels sprouts.

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY: You'd be one of the few who do—but they are very good for you. In the absence of the 30-year plan and the draft development plan amendment, there have understandably been some concerns. Now that the draft 30-year plan is available for three months of public consultation, hopefully debate about the government's intentions will be better informed.

Of course, there are those who are opposed to growth in any form. However, if we take the easy option and simply slam the door shut on all growth, then we would ultimately deny the children growing up in Mount Barker today any opportunity to continue to live their lives in their communities. The better alternative is to make those hard decisions now and plan for Mount Barker's population growth in a strategic way that prevents ad hoc developments and preserves high-value farmland.

Despite some misconceptions being peddled throughout the community, I want to stress that the Department of Planning and Local Government is undertaking work on the ministerial development plan amendment. This will be carried out in close collaboration with the Mount Barker council and will be assisted with input from landholders, some of whom have engaged professional planners.

Once the study work has been completed, a draft development plan amendment will be circulated for public consultation, and the residents of Mount Barker and all South Australians will have an opportunity to have their say on this proposed rezoning.

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