A community yesterday today has moved to submit amendments to maintain Gawler’s identity and offer flexibility for landowners in the draft Greater Adelaide Regional Plan.
Over 60 community members from Kudla and surrounding areas heard from representatives from the Planning Commission, including Chair Craig Holden, before overwhelmingly voicing their opposition to the current draft, proposing the following changes:
1. Urban development should preserve Gawler's identity by allowing a rural neighbourhood zone in parts of Kudla and Hillier.
2. A diverse range of allotment sizes should be available to reflect the historic character of the area and facilities a range of housing options.
3. Open spaces for sporting and recreational purposes should be provided on publicly owned land, with appropriate setbacks from major road corridors.
4. An urban trail linking the Hills Face Zone to the Gawler River should be established using stormwater management routes where possible.
5. Sufficient employment lands should be provided in appropriate location(s) to offer local job opportunities, ensuring connections to major transport routes.
6. Higher density housing should be supported in suitable locations near transport corridors.
7. The plan should facilitate the release of land for development, prioritising those with lower infrastructure impacts.
The forum also opposed the compulsory acquisition of land for parkland as outlined in the draft plan.
Tony Piccolo MP, who organised and hosted the forum, emphasised the importance of community involvement in shaping local development.
"It's crucial that the voices of our residents are heard and that we have a majority stance on what happens in our own community," said Mr. Piccolo.
"This forum provided a platform for locals to express their concerns and propose meaningful amendments to the GARP.
“There was plenty of lively discussion, and it was heartening to see how passionate locals are about their community."
The GARP aims to shape the future development of Greater Adelaide, impacting urban growth, housing and infrastructure.
This community forum follows previous discussions held with residents last year and two months ago, where concerns were first raised regarding GARP and Town of Gawler’s draft Southern Rural Areas Discussion Paper.
Mr Piccolo invites the community to submit their own individual submissions detailing the issues they believe the proposal will have on the community and land.
Mr Piccolo will also be drafting a community submission based on today’s discussions from the forum and will send a draft to all attendees and Council to ensure their input is included before sending it to the Planning Commission.
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