LAST week I attended the first of two public exhibitions of plans for Gawler’s growth.
The second opportunity was last night, so now is the time to provide your feedback. The numbers were strong at the session I attended with a mixture of positive views as well as concerns about the effects on the Southern Rural Areas (SRA).
It is vitally important that the community take note of the draft plans and provide feedback.
In particular, the proposal for the SRA will see the area transformed from its current open character.
A proposal from the State Government will potentially see 4000 new houses or 9000 to 10,000 new residents, which compares with Gawler’s current population of around 26,000.
An important feature of the SRA is that its current open form provides a physical separation between Gawler and Playford of about 3.6km.
The plans aim to provide what is termed an ‘inter urban break’, which could be as low as a few hundred metres, also providing for more housing within this break.
It is important to consider if this would, in practice, function to maintain a real break.
The housing density proposed will also completely alter the uses for landholders like horse keeping, as block sizes will need to be urban instead of rural, so pushing out many of the current population.
The next step in the process is community feedback on these draft plans.
Once community feedback is provided the draft plans will be reviewed before final adoption by council.
Council will then make a submission to the State Government’s Greater Adelaide Regional Plan.
The timeline is tight. Council is expected to make a final decision on the Gawler Growth Framework and SRA plan on September 11.
These plans will shape the future of Gawler.
It is important for the community to understand what is proposed.
Please check the proposals on the council website under ‘Your Voice’ and provide feedback via an online survey or written submission by August 18.
You have the opportunity to comment on what is proposed and provide alternatives to accommodate growth elsewhere that reduces the impact on the current character of Gawler.
These are my personal views.
Councillor Paul Koch, Town of Gawler
