Hello

This is my first post on upcoming Council meetings, and this one is a doozy!

I have restricted issues being mentioned here to those affecting Northfield Ward or overall of most interest to local residents in my opinion. I won’t list them all as there are over 70 items of business we are considering this coming Tuesday night, but if you do want to read the lot – they are accessible from Council’s website here but be warned, this month’s agenda is so large it has been split into two lots of over 50MB!:

http://www.portenf.sa.gov.au/page.aspx?u=2172

By the way, the numbers below refer to the item number in the agenda. Here we go:

12.1.2 KLEMZIG OUTDOOR CINEMA

Council was asked by a Klemzig Ward Councillor for a report into the above. Council staff have said they will plan one for that location in the upcoming summer.

12.1.3 CLOSURE OF HAMPSTEAD REHABILITATION CENTRE AND MODBURY & QEH EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS

A report to confirm that we still have not heard back from the Minister for Health (or delegate) to attend a Council workshop to answer questions on the State Government’s Transforming Health program. I find that completely predictable and sad.

12.1.4 PROPOSED DOG REGISTRATION FEES 2015-16

Council staff wish to raise dog registration fees (as usual) but wish to over ride Council’s decision last year to raise increases by $5 annually, making it a $10 jump this year to $75 maximum. This is still $10 under the recommended fee set by the Dog & Cat Management Board.  What do you think? Relatively few people pay the full amount as most dog owners receive discount as their dogs are desexed etc.

I am inclined to keep it as $70 per dog maximum as nowhere in the report do Council staff justify why they have asked for a higher amount.

12.1.5 DRAFT SA WASTE STRATEGY 2015-2020 AND ESTABLISHMENT OF GREEN INDUSTRIES SA CONSULTATION PAPER – IMPLICATIONS FOR COUNCIL

Anyone interested in waste management will find this report very interesting reading and apart from anything else, it highlights the vast and spiralling cost to Council (ie you) of waste management – $13 million per annum! New processes need to be adopted to decrease waste, improve collection and cut costs, and Council staff are working on something now that will achieve all of those objectives. Do you have any ideas?

12.2.1. PARKING CONTROL – RAMSAY AVENUE, HILLCREST

Council will put a no parking yellow line in front of 29 Ramsay Avenue.

12.2.7 OAKDEN/HILLCREST 40KM/HR PRECINCT

Council staff have recommended no further action on this. Apart from road tests showing the average speed on the roads in the above two suburbs were under 40km/hr already, a survey done last year showed the majority of residents opposed to a mandatory 40km/hr zone. However, there is still much work to do to slow and improve pedestrian safety along Ross Smith Boulevard.

12.3.1 BY-LAWS REVIEW AND PROPOSED NEW BY-LAW FOR CONSULTATION AND PUBLIC COMMENT

Council currently has six By-Laws (on Permits & Penalties, Moveable Signs, Local Government Land, Roads, Dogs and Lodging Houses) and Council staff are recommending we had a seventh in Waste Management. In effect this new one will give Council power to take action against people who leave their bins out all the time and formalise that removing items from bins is not allowed. All these By-Laws will be going to public consultation before being ratified, so people have time to comment and amend them. What do you think?

12.3.2 FINAL PUBLIC HEALTH AND COMMUNITY WELLBEING PLAN 2015-2020 FOR COUNCIL ENDORSEMENT

This important plan has now been consulted on extensively, reworked and is final. If you would like a copy, please ask me.

12.3.6 NORTHERN ECONOMIC PLAN

This is a State Government initiative predicated on the closure of GMH and the follow through effects of that on the northern Adelaide economy. The NEP is based on creating job opportunities in the Salisbury and Playford Council areas but also includes Port Adelaide and Tea Tree Gully in its ambit so I am sure that if the plan is successful then there will be spin offs locally.

12.3.9 FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WHITE PAPER AND ISSUES PAPERS RELATING TO FEDERATION AND TAXATION 

This sounds incredibly unexciting and it is unless you are a constitutional lawyer or a corporate tax accountant but it is a blueprint on what the government sees as a methodology for possible reform of taxation arrangements between different levels of government and therefore will impact you one way or another. Councils may see their funding amount and methodology radically changed. Or not. We don’t know yet.

13.2 CORRESPONDENCE – MS FONOVIC – PENSIONER CONCESSIONS FOR COUNCIL RATES

The above named lady of Kilburn has organised for a petition to Council to support the retention of Government sponsored Pensioner concessions on rates. Good on her! 255 signatures is not a bad effort. Let’s hope the Federal and State Governments hear them.

14.1 NOTICE OF MOTION – PORT ADELAIDE ENFIELD HOTSPOT PROGRAM – CR OSBORN

Northfield Co-Councillor has suggested looking at our Council implementing a program currently run in New York where Council supplies Wi-Fi internet for disadvantaged residents and ratepayers through our library system. I think it’s a good idea.

14.2 NOTICE OF MOTION – COUNCIL MEETING EASTERN PART OF COUNCIL AREA – CR BASHAM

I think this is self-explanatory. I successfully moved for the same last year and it was held at the Klemzig Community Centre in June. There was quite a reasonably sized gallery in attendance too – more than usual at Port Adelaide meetings. Will you come to see and hear us in action?

14.5 NOTICE OF MOTION – KIRKBY CIRCUIT COMMON WALL GREENACRES – CR BASHAM

The common wall at the back of nineteen properties in Kirkby Circuit, Greenacres, is a common target for vandals both damaging the wall and tagging it with graffiti. The Kirkby Circuit Residents Volunteer Group have written to Council asking to be supplied 100L of paint to paint the wall the one colour, as when Council’s anti-graffiti team or staff or individual residents do it, there is a plethora of colours used. I have tacked on an additional up to twelve litres per annum for upkeep for five years only.

STRATEGIC PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT POLICY COMMITTEE MEETING

4.1 FUTURE ACTIVITY CENTRE AND SHOPPING REVIEW DEVELOPMENT PLAN AMENDMENTS BY THE MINISTER FOR PLANNING

This mouthful is a report by staff on the State Government’s proposal (and I am simplifying it a bit) to make it easier for new and existing retail establishments to expand and be allowed in currently retail and non-retail zones.

What does that mean?

Effectively, the State Government wants to make it easier if you’re a shop to expand, or to start up, regardless of the zoning of the area. Now this sounds good in theory, but if you live in a residential zone and someone wants to open up a 24 hour shop of some type next door, it is going to be a lot easier for them, and Council staff/Development Assessment Panels will not be able to object to them (nor residents) as easily as before. Of course Council will still receive all the blame for approving poor developments when we have no choice under the State’s planning regime.

The government’s whole premise for this is some research from interstate from the Productivity Commission which was done not for the purposes of planning, but for economic development, and to then base the recommendations for wholesale change to our retail planning strategy on that. It is also pre-empting the State Government’s own major planning reform legislation, which is just weird.

I am not anti-development (as the Government likes to smear anyone who disagrees with them) but I support appropriate development after due consideration to the rules of the area. This is what planning is all about. These changes will make it easier for some retail expansion to occur that is only good for the community overall. But it will also allow some very poor developments to be approved against local’s wishes.

That’s it for now. Report on the results next week!

Please feel free to comment below.