LIGHT Regional Council (LRC) hopes a review into Roseworthy potentially becoming a centre for the region will deter Gawler Council from progressing with its boundary reform plan.
The council announced last week the review would look at how proposed civic and private services, set to be built as part of the $2.4 billion St Yves housing development south of the township, would benefit the council’s existing civic infrastructure.
LRC mayor Bill O’Brien said the review wasn’t launched because of Gawler Council’s boundary change proposal, but he hoped it would become a way to fight against the reform.
“Roseworthy, in terms of a strategic area for Hewett and our communities outside of Kapunda, is going to be really valuable,” he said.
“For a lot of people in Hewett, that (Roseworthy) is where they’ll go and do their shopping and take up some of the professional services that will be available there.
“That’s where some of their children will go to school at Trinity College.
“Gawler is not going to be inundated with people like they thought they might in proposing this boundary change.
“I think what it (the review) might do, and I hope it does, is help convince Gawler Council to possibly withdraw their proposal.
“Roseworthy was certainly mentioned in that proposal, but it will be fiercely defended by LRC.
“Much of the argument they’ve (Gawler Council) come up with is defeated by the mere fact that Roseworthy is going to head in the direction it is.”
LRC chief executive officer Brian Carr will lead the review, which is expected to take three to four months.
The outcomes are set to form the basis for community consultation on how to best spread council facilities as Roseworthy grows.
Mr O’Brien said he saw Roseworthy becoming equal with Kapunda as the council’s main administrative town.
“It’s a very big development, and we’re only working to and talking about half of it at this point,” he said.
“The other half, where Hickinbotham group haven’t put their development plans in yet, is going to be equally as big as Land Vision.
“We’ve got a lot of potential there for growth, it’s going to be quite large.”
The St Yves development will be larger than Mawson Lakes and will grow Roseworthy’s population by more than 12,000 people.
