LAND zoning, rate increases and future housing development were among residents’ questions at a forum discussing Gawler Council’s boundary reform proposal on Monday night.

Around 40 people from both inside and outside the existing Gawler Council area attended the meeting at the Gawler Sport and Community Centre to ask questions of Mayor Karen Redman, CEO Henry Inat and Office of Local Government representative Alex Hart.

Residents from outside the council area were worried about any expected rise in their council rates which would occur from moving into Gawler’s jurisdiction.

In response, Mr Inat said early council modelling showed a $450,000 property may see a $100 increase in their rates bill, but that jump may be phased in over time.

“If you were to take the average residential valuation in Light Regional Council of $350,000 and the average residential value in Gawler of $320,000, the difference is about $10,” he said.

“As part of any adjustment in rates that the transition, if it was to occur, is a fair and reasonable one.

“Any spikes or otherwise in valuations and rates is accommodated for over a reasonable period of time.”

Ms Hart added the local government minister, currently deputy premier Vicki Chapman, could enforce a differential rating system for effected properties.

Landowners in Gawler Belt, Kalbeeba and Evanston Park were also worried a change of council area would mean a change in their zoning to classification different from their current situation.

Mr Inat though said any newly-acquired land in a boundary expansion would receive a “like-for-like” development and rating classification.

“The council’s clear position at this point… is that the council boundary conversation is not confused by the land use zoning conversation,” he said.

“If your land is zoned as rural or rural living and your minimum size block is ‘x’ hectares, then there’s no proposal, nothing at all on the books and no forward thinking to change that.”

What remains unclear is the total cost to Gawler Council of its boundary expansion plan, which is expected to take a year or more.

Council has budgeted $270,000 to complete the application, but Mr Inat and Ms Redman from a Gawler Council point of view and Ms Hart from a State Government perspective declined to put a dollar figure on the total expense.

“This is not a matter to be taken lightly,” Ms Hart said. “This is not a case of three people getting in a room, shutting the door and making a call.

“We’re clear that when he have a clear estimate, we will go back to those councils and they will make their own decision on whether it’s something to invest in or not.

“The council is sensible in considering that it will be a substantial sum. It’s certainly not going to be (around) $10,000.”

Gawler Council is seeking to bring the Concordia growth area, Hewett, Kalbeeba, Gawler Belt, Evanston Park, Reid and Hillier into its jurisdiction from LRC, Barossa and Playford councils in its boundary reform bid.

It would also cede Bibaringa and Uleybury to Playford Council.

Legislation which became active last year gave councils the ability to apply to the independent Boundaries Commission and local government minister for a boundary change.

Barossa responds to Gawler’s boundary ‘survey’

BAROSSA Council has criticised a survey being used to gauge community opinion on proposed local boundary reform.

In a report to the September 15 council meeting, Barossa chief executive Martin McCarthy said the survey, currently being distributed by Gawler Council as part of public consultation, is “disjointed” and has the potential to produce skewed results.

“…it seeks to understand ‘why you object or support’ which is disassociated with the specific components of the proposal earlier in the survey,” McCarthy said.

“This results in the survey not be (sic) able to assess components of the boundary change in their own right.

“Interestingly the survey allows multiple responses per respondent and therefore seems to have limited control to ensure that respondents only make one submission.

“This could have the impact of skewing results significantly rendering the results inaccurate and undermining any such conclusions.

“There is also no control over the true establishment of those directly impacted by the proposal.”

Gawler Council is proposing a realignment of local government boundaries that would see it take in several surrounding areas, including the Concordia growth area and a portion of Kalbeeba (including Springwood’s rural living zone) from Barossa Council.

Barossa Council does not support the proposal and is in the process of making a formal submission to Gawler Council to that effect.

“Clearly the areas of Kalbeeba (excluding the Springwood development area) and Concordia are associated with the southern Barossa and the GI, separated by distance and the South Para,” Mr McCarthy states.

“The economic basis of the area for now and the foreseeable 10-plus years is clearly associated with the Barossa.”

Submissions are due in to Gawler Council by October 7.