The Community Alliance SA is calling for an immediate halt to planning changes based on the 30 Year Plan because the community has lost all faith in the present process. The Alliance represents around 30 resident and community organisations disillusioned with the planning process and the State Government continuing to announce plans for growth and Development Plan Amendments (DPAs) without any meaningful community engagement.
We want the Premier to step into this debate and to advise his Planning Minister that things must be done in a different way.“ The only sensible way to proceed is through genuine community consultation and the Premier has set up an engagement team to guide government departments on how to listen to the people, but it is not happening”, said Dr Helen Wilmore, Spokesperson Community Alliance SA.
“The lack of true community engagement in the process that delivered the 30 Year Plan means that concerns about many issues such as transport infrastructure and food security were not adequately addressed”, said Dr Wilmore
“The recent announcement from the Planning Minister of the Playford Growth Project that aims to provide new housing for 100,000 people to the north of Adelaide is yet another example of this and lacks proper consideration of the economic effect of destroying the northern food bowl. It is absolutely outrageous and lacks any real planning understanding”.
“The land at Playford is the latest in a long list being rezoned for greenfields developments in many areas surrounding Adelaide. There are also 7 DPAs for areas within Adelaide sitting on the Minister’s desk waiting for his tick of approval and if his record is anything to go on,most of the community concerns are likely to be ignored” said Dr Wilmore.
“The community has lost all faith in decisions and directives made by the Minister based on the 30 Year Plan and we are calling for a immediate moratorium on all approvals for these DPAs, to allow a process to be put in place that will bring all the parties to the table and to find a better way to approach planning in this State” said Dr Wilmore.
“We call on the Premier to intervene immediately and to be true to his word that‘ people have a right to be involved in conversations about decisions that affect them’“ said Dr Wilmore “Here is the challenge and we are ready for the conversation”.
Media Contacts:
Dr Helen Wilmore, Spokesperson (8522 3019, 0416 217 391)
Tom Matthews, President and Spokesperson (0429 337 453)