A WELL-attended community forum on Monday night enabled community members and those of neighbouring councils to consider Gawler Council’s development of a boundary reform proposal – and ask necessary questions.
Hosted by a three-person panel – including Gawler Mayor Karen Redman, CEO Henry Inat and Office of Local Government representative Alex Hart – attendees were delivered a 30-minute presentation and appropriate information handouts before partaking in a Q&A session.
A change to the State Government legislation in January 2019 has meant council is now able to consider and seek boundary realignment to “better meet the needs of (its) whole community”.
Areas of interest include Concordia, Hewett, Kalbeeba, Gawler Belt, Evanston Park, Reid and Hillier, while areas to be removed include Bibaringa and Uleybury.
“The proposition is very much focussed on growth management, it is focussed on communities of interest, it is focussed on effectively one community which is the Gawler community,” Mr Inat explained.
“We are one of the fastest growing council areas in the state and over the next 20 years or so our population will nearly triple, and with that comes a whole raft of responsibilities and obligations in terms of sustainable growth, efficient governance and then the appropriate allocation of resources.”
Ms Hart discussed the commission’s boundary reform process, explained each step and was on hand to answer any questions.
Ms Redman expressed the importance of “keeping up with changes” and planning strategically for the community’s future.
Many questions were raised about the cost of the process and whether compensation would be offered to councils should they lose a rate-generating area. Rate increases included another area of concern.
A second community forum on boundary reform will be held next Monday at the Gawler Sport and Community Centre from 7pm.
Meanwhile, written submissions on council’s boundary change proposal can be lodged via post, over the counter, via email or online via council’s website and comments must be received by 5pm on Wednesday, October 7.
Full forum coverage in next week’s Bunyip.
