This is the June 2024 newsletter for the St Peters Residents Association, representing the Residents of St Peters, College Park, Hackney, Stepney, Maylands, Evandale & Joslin.

Items that we hope you will find of interest include: -

• Town Hall Candidate Forum – Dunstan By-Election
• SPRA Annual General Meeting
• St Peters Heroes Memorial WW2 Plaque Grant Application
• 2024-25 Council Budget
• Consultation: On-Street Parking Policy
• St Peters Billabong - Deputation to Council
• Urban Greening Strategy
• Former Transport SA Carpark
• Facebook Page

St Peters Residents Association submission to the Draft Urban Greening Strategy for Metropolitan Adelaide

This submission can be downloaded as a pdf for printing.

This Strategy is a planning document which includes targets and visions. The St Peters Residents Association (SPRA) is happy to comment on some of these but also considers it important to suggest concrete actions which could be taken to improve the greening of Adelaide.

On-street parking is a topic that can lead to animated discussion, as evidenced by council's proposed removal of parking controls in St Peters.

NPSP Council are consulting on the 'Draft On-street Parking Policy'. The policy is important as it will set the guidelines for which users (e.g. residents, employees, etc.) are prioritised in different regions and how parking controls are implemented. Submissions close on 3 July 2024.

The St Peters Billabong is the largest community reserve in the council and is classified as ‘regional open space’. The park is zoned as part of the Linear Park (River Torrens). It is home to many species of native flora and fauna.

Since starting the petition, I have spoken with people of differing viewpoints. leading to more questions than answers. Tonight I will ask some of the most pressing questions.

In 2018, Barrister Ralph Bleechmore, a former St Peters councillor, Vietnam War Veteran and formerly active member of the Friends of the Billabong raised concerns with council about encroachment by houses along the top of the billabong. Thanks to Ralph’s efforts through Freedom of Information requests, 4 reports were released by the council. Reading the agenda tonight I note that it quotes from an unreleased Golder 2020 report. Why has this not been released to Mr Bleechmore?

The grant application to add a plaque to the St Peters Heroes War Memorial with a list of men and women who paid the ultimate sacrifice in World War II has been successful. Plans are underway to unveil the names on Remembrance Day.

The Association is wanting to hear from anyone who knows of other men or women from the St Peters Council area who died in WW2. The former St Peters Council included the suburbs of Hackney, College Park, St Peters, Stepney, Maylands, and Evandale. SPRA is also seeking any relatives of those named so that they can be invited to the Remembrance Day 2024 dedication ceremony.

SPRA have significant concerns about the rise in rate revenue and debt position of the council. SPRA would prefer to see council spending cut or deferred rather than rate rises at more than double the rate of inflation.

In our response to the draft of the 2023-2024 budget, SPRA noted concerns about the Payneham Memorial Swimming Pool and the significant increase in council debt represented by the Net Financial Liabilities Ratio (NFLR). Twelve months later the budget of the Payneham Memorial Swimming Pool has tripled to $60 million with the potential to increase further. The NFLR has increased from the previous peak of 117% to 162% and will still be above 130% in 2034.

Peter Fairlie-Jones has permitted SPRA to reproduce his budget consultation submission. He currently serves on the Audit Committees of 5 Councils and has this to say about the budget:

I remain very concerned not only about the proposed future rate increases and high debt levels, but also the resulting long term constraints on Council’s ability to respond to other community priorities and its capacity to respond to adverse events without even further pressure on rates and debt levels.

The St Peters Residents Association (SPRA) has been contacted by a number of residents regarding the proposed removal of all parking controls on First Avenue, Second Avenue and Harrow Road, including Residential Parking permits.

These controls were implemented at the request of residents over a number of years.

SPRA’s opinion is that if the Council took the foolish step of removing the parking controls, then soon we would find ourselves having a conversation about reintroducing them.

Update:'investigation and Recommendations' report by PA Consultancy added.

For several years SPRA have had concerns about encroachments and stability of the north-eastern bank of the billabong in the St Peters River Park. We are particularly concerned at the lack of any effective action by Council to address these concerns. This petition highlights some of those concerns and suggests some of the actions we would like to see taken. Council should proceed with the quantitative geotechnical survey to select an engineering solution that preserves the native flora and fauna.

Re: Development Application 23020223 (PlanSA)
Construction of a four-storey mixed use development comprising shops and offices at ground level, eighteen (18) dwellings across levels 2, 3 and 4 and basement car parking, together with associated landscaping and rooftop plant.

The St Peters Residents Association requests that the Council Assessment Panel refuse the application in its current form.