After the cat 3 public consultation back in August and another just completed consultation undertaken on behalf not of our DAP but Council the Vodafone Phone Tower Development Application at Goodwood Oval will be considered by DAP this Thursday evening.

This is a specially convened meeting and is open to the public. I expect the public gallery will be full. It is a Development Assessment Panel meeting at which those members of the public who made representations way back in August and who indicated a desire in their representation to speak to the panel will be heard. This is in accordance with the Government’s Development Regulations.

Everyone is welcome to attend but only to speak if you did indicate your wish to speak when you made your written representation. I will be there as a member of the public and look forward to meeting with you should you choose to come.

The panel, which is made up of 4 independent members and 3 elected members, must make a decision based on the Development Act and on the Unley Development Plan. The members of this panel cannot be lobbied. If they were to partake in conversation with you they would have, under the Development Act, a conflict of interest and would then not be able to vote.

In making an assessment the panel members would have to consider as I see it the following:

1    Whether the development complies with the various Australian standards concerning Electro magnetic radiation.

2   If the final structure impacts negatively on the neighbouring properties and if so whether there is sufficient screening or not to obviate this.

3   Whether the development is suitable or not in the Historic Conservation Zone in which it is located, making it a non-complying development.

The Council’s officer has indicated that he believes they have complied with item 1 and that there is sufficient screening from a visual perspective. The panel may or may not agree with this. The fact remains of course that it IS NON COMPLYING DEVELOPMENT.

If it is not approved that will be the end of it.

If it is approved I believe the proposal must then come before Council which may well be as soon as our next meeting on November 23. The reason for this is they have applied to lease the tower or the portion of public land. That requires council approval on behalf of the community. Hence the recent public consultation that ended just last week.

Should it be heard at that or subsequent meeting, which will also be a public meeting, you can:

1   Make a delegation or prepare a petition for presentation at that meeting. A petition with a delegation by one or two proponents to the petition works best in my experience. I recommend that if you wish to do this you notify the Mayor or the CEO as soon as possible after “a” decision for approval is made by the DAP.

2   Lobby all your elected members/councillors. Their contact details are available freely on the Unley web site.

Once again I would expect the public gallery to be full.