A PARLIAMENTARY committee will write to planning minister Stephan Knoll requesting that he reinstate important gas pipeline safety references that were removed from a newly-approved  Gawler development plan amendment (DPA).

The Gawler East Structure Plan DPA, which received ministerial approval on July 18, provides updated development policies for Gawler’s surrounding suburbs of Evanston, Evanston Gardens, Evanston South, Evanston Park and Hillier.

Traversing those suburbs is SEA Gas’ Port Campbell to Adelaide high pressure gas pipeline, which currently transports roughly 50 per cent of South Australia’s gas demand from sources in south west Victoria.

As part of the DPA, and against the recommendation of Gawler Council and pipeline operator SEA Gas, Mr Knoll removed references to Australian Standard 2885 regulations, which contain “robust processes for assessing risks to public safety, the environment and security of gas supply”.

He did so as standards will be “subject to change” when the State Government’s new Planning and Design Code takes effect in July next year.

Previously, any proposed development within 640m of the pipeline would be referred through the Department for Energy and Mining, and then SEA Gas.

However, without reference to Australian Standard 2885 in the DPA, there is no determination of what development should or should not be referred.

Gawler mayor Karen Redman, along with council’s chief executive, Henry Inat, and development manager, Ryan Viney, appeared before the state parliament’s Environment, Resources and Development (ERD) committee on July 29 to advocate for reinstating Australian Standard 2885 into the DPA.

“Simply removing that reference is seen as watering down those provisions, because it is ultimately important that a safety management study is conducted early in the process such that it can be taken in consideration as part of any development occurring,” Ms Redman said.

“From council’s perspective, it is important to have those Australian Standards in there to make sure that both developers and the relevant authority are aware of those provisions and can address
them early in the assessment process.”

ERD committee member Mark Parnell was perplexed as to why Mr Knoll had removed the reference from the DPA.

“What has driven this?,” he asked.

“Is it concern of property developers?

“It is sort of, ‘Don’t mention the elephant in the room,’ that if it is too clear that there is a potentially dangerous gas pipeline in the neighbourhood property values are going to go down?

“Why would the minister not put this in?

“It would seem to be a public safety issue that all the people with knowledge of, and the capacity to do something about a potential problem, are all in the same tent.”

Gawler Council has since been advised the ERD committee will write to Mr Knoll, recommending him to reinstate Australian Standard 2885 into the DPA.

The Bunyip contacted Mr Knoll’s office for comment, but did not receive a response.