Indeed! Now IS the hour when we must lodge our representation. Our representation on the current draft of the new Planning & Design Code.

If we don’t then we must forever accept the result. Of what might happen next door to you.

In my August blog on the Planning & Design Code, I indicated we had won major concessions on the first draft. The State Planning Commission admitted they got it wrong. Admitted that had failed in one of their primary aims. The aim to transfer like for like from the current array of Development Plans to the new Planning & Design Code.

Let us all be thankful for this. As I indicated however in that blog there remains a serious number of issues. Anomalies, errors, and omissions. Indeed, there remain too many variances that like for like is still not achieved. And we have until Friday to submit our final thoughts.

Therefore, now IS the hour when we must lodge our representation, our final I suggest representation.

The detail is so deep there is no point focusing on each now. I have spoken to a number of you about your particular issues. I trust you will, if you haven’t already, submit your new representation.

For the rest of you, I recommend you simply indicate that you support the City of Unley submission. This includes residents NOT living in Black Forest and Clarence Park (west).

That said, it may be purposeful to highlight some or all of the following in the City of Unley submission.

1. That ALL of Black Forest be included in the new Suburban zone. There is no point opening the area of Aroha and Lincoln to higher density development when most of it has already been recently redeveloped.
2. The 1.5m cill height does not mitigate overlooking and the 1.7m favoured by Unley is more appropriate. Check out 1.5m in the photo.
3. That references to contextual parameters in our Development plan should be maintained and not dismissed in favour of a purely numeric approach.

Points 2 & 3 apply to all of us, no matter where we live.

Finally, I encourage you all to include one of two additional observations.

You can request that the Code is either further delayed to get it right. Alternatively, you could seek to provide a mechanism in the 1^st draft of the Code to prevent unintended development.

This is a key component of the Council’s submission. A recommendation promoted by me in moving a motion on Monday night this week. A motion that included an amendment.

That amendment and my rationale in support of it can be found here.