The State Government announced, just before Christmas, that it was extending the Urban Growth Boundary more or less in line with its surprise announcement of July 2007. The one significant change was the adding of an additional 79 ha of land adjoining Main North Road from the south end of Trinity College, to align with Tiver Road. (see map on Planning SA site)

This is a clear breach of Government commitments about maintaining the green belt of rural land between Gawler and Playford. The Press Release claims that this change for additional land is “as a result of public submissions and consultative meetings.” There certainly has not been any consultation with Gawler Council or community organisations as far as GEHA is aware. No doubt, the landowners/landowners’ representatives – Land Management Corporation and a private entity made submissions. The Government should reveal all submissions made.

The commitment to Barossa Council and community regarding “a substantial green belt” “east of the designated land at Concordia” is no answer to Barossa Council and local residents’ concerns about protecting the rural character of the Concordia area. Given the experience in Gawler and statements about review of the UGB on a regular basis, that also sounds like a promise which lacks some credibility.

The statement about protection of a corridor “surrounding the South Para River Gorge and Gawler East” is confusing in light of the later commitment to “protect undeveloped land along watercourses within the UGB”. There is a watercourse through the Gawler East land which is left in limbo. In any event, urban development will not generally get too close to watercourses because of the advantages of setting aside such land arising from the need to provide around 12% open space and the difficulties of development close to steep-sided or flood-prone riparian areas.

The statement that the Gawler East area will involve rehabilitation of a quarry area may be true but is somewhat misleading when the majority of land (over 70%) is not land affected by quarrying.

The only good news is that the Government has determined that rezoning of all land near Gawler for urban uses will be delayed pending a full consideration of the infrastructure issues involved – ie the “formal structure plans” and “Strategic Coordination Planning Group” to develop structure plans. Why this is not seen as a prerequisite for changes to the UGB is still a mystery.

There is no commitment to retaining the character of Gawler and suggesting that such a commitment could be made defies the obvious impacts which Gawler is being expected to undergo. Equally, it still seems obvious that the traffic impacts in Gawler from the expansion envisaged can be guaranteed to either cause gridlock in central Gawler, or result in engineering solutions which will have seriously detrimental impacts on the heritage and character of Gawler. Environmental sustainability and lowering greenhouse gas emissions seem to be dreams rather than urgent objectives.

The suggestion that the UGB announcement will “prompt the release of some of the 2,000 hectares of land already zoned residential … which investors and individuals have been withholding from the market” needs some examination. Private markets operate to maximise private profits. Unless the government has more than hopeful wishes in mind, then no change can be expected and wishful statements related to improving housing affordability remain just that.

Community action is needed to protect the values which the Gawler and Barossa communities wish to retain.