Community Alliance SA

continue to flow daily out to sea. This of course has dramatic implications for saltwater intrusion, and once again the potential for damage to surrounding houses and the building itself. We are still waiting for this to be resolved.

Community Alliance SA

Theo Ellenbroek

My main interests are the natural environment and heritage. Together with a friend from the Henley and Grange Historical Society, we walk the streets of Henley and Grange, noting properties that may be of historical interest. After our walk, we research the property and if it is historically significant or interesting, we write its story and transmit our findings to the wider community, including WACRA members. Often, we alert authorities about heritage issues and nominate properties that should be protected. The City of Charles Sturt has a heritage officer and we regularly communicate with them. As well, the City of Charles Sturt has a heritage information section on their website.

In terms of local heritage, a place or object needs to meet certain criteria such as displaying historical, economic or social themes that are of importance to the local area; representing customs or ways of life that are characteristic of the local area; displaying artistic merit; being associated with a notable local personality; being a notable landmark in the area, a tree of special historical or social significance; and/or finally, representing customs or ways of life that are characteristic of the local area. Contributory items are occasionally contained in development plans as historic conservation areas, zones or policy areas.

I represent WACRA on the Community Alliance SA and also served as WACRA’s treasurer. Community Alliance SA is an umbrella organisation representing residents and community groups dedicated to community engagement and facilitating ‘People back into planning and development in SA’. In 2018, a source had confirmed to WACRA that a new SA planning act was to be passed in parliament. That year a couple of attempts were made by WACRA and Community Alliance SA to bring attention to the unfairness of this new planning act, and in protest we held a ‘silent demonstration’ on the steps of Parliament House. However, planning’s power base appears to be developers, investors and banks and it would have taken a larger grassroots well-organised campaign to draw attention to perceived oppression in the act. On that occasion, WACRA fell short in numbers of people and we ran out of protest energy.

As recently as June 2019, Community Alliance SA’s Tom Matthews alerted its members to have a say on planning reform consultation. Tom Matthews points out that DIT is only evaluating the consultation process for ‘statutory consultations’ in the new Planning and Design Code (SA): ‘we want to be involved in the contributory items in our historic conservation zone’.

Paul Laris, WACRA’s president, stated in May 2019:

State Planning Commissioner Michael Lennon and Planning Minister Stephan Knoll need to be concerned about negative public reaction to the proposed changes in the planning system. We face the potential demolition of Charles Sturt Council’s 3655 Contributory Items. Contributory Items are features, including buildings, that have heritage aspects that contribute to the historic quality of a place. Many of these in Charles Sturt that have been previously assessed and recommended for protection may not be protected under this new system.

The amenity, value and sense of place of our older historic inner suburban homes and treelined streets which residents, visitors and tourists appreciate must be protected. The new planning rules are allowing unscrupulous developers to build inappropriate, uncharacteristic high-rise ‘infill’ and smaller, split townhouses.

These recent changes remove local communities and residents from the planning decisions that affect us all. We must find new ways for individuals and communities to be involved in planning to maximise the social, cultural, economic and environmental benefits of recognising and caring for our heritage.

The development industry has had it all its own way in shaping the new planning system. It is time the balance was reset. We need an orderly planning process, separate from state government bureaucrats, under a properly funded and independent Heritage Council, that includes the voices of local councils, residents’ associations and the National Trust of South Australia. Our heritage places and the historic character of our suburbs and towns should be retained, protected and enhanced.

Theo Ellenbroek, Community Alliance SA member, protesting outside Parliament House