The greatest challenge facing local government during the current term is working with its rate payers to find a way to achieve the goals set by the State Government’s 30 year vision.
As can be seen by yesterdays article in the Sunday Mail inner city councils including the City of Unley are faced with a special challenge to implement a strategy for encouraging population growth via multi story development in a way that will be readily embraced by the rate payers of the City.
Whilst the Minister of Planning is suggesting they are now, after 12 weeks of design work, offering councils a draft plan designed around stimulating discussion with councils, the City of Unley has been working for some time now on a draft plan of it’s own.
The previous Council recognized that it was important that they accept ownership of the process of behalf of their ratepayers so that the lifestyle of the current family of citizens of the City is enhanced. They believed that to do otherwise they ran the risk that the State Government, who do not know the true heart of the City of Unley, might impose a Development regime that would in the eyes of the current family detract from the area they call home.
We must all remember that at the end of the day the Minister of Planning is responsible for our Development Plan and makes the final decision.
So we need to be proactive and determine what we believe to be the answer or he can and will do it for us. The current Council is keen therefore and this Councilor particularly so to hear from all interested ratepayers of the City of Unley as we all consider the merits of the concepts that have been developed on our behalf as one possible solution and/or how we can build on or modify them to get what will truly work for the Unley family, current and future.
To do this we will need your help.
There will be more on this so watch this space.
Probably very soon … as elected members get briefed on what the Government is now suggesting, even though they know we have been working for some time now on achieving their goals for them.
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