Gawler East DPA
Proposed zoning changes released for public comment
Consultation on the Gawler East DPA has concluded. The Development Policy Advisory Committee will consider the consultation information and make a report to the Minister for Urban Development and Planning. The Minister will then make a decision about the DPA. Information about the DPA and the consultation process appears below.
Until recently there has been limited access to significant parcels of land that could be used to develop large-scale residential areas in the Corporation of the Town of Gawler and in The Barossa Council. However, on 20 December 2007, the urban boundary was changed, which provided an excellent opportunity to increase the number of houses in these areas and provide associated community facilities.
The land added to the area encompassed by the urban boundary included 320 hectares at Gawler East. The Government is now proposing to rezone this land, together with some adjacent areas that were already located within the urban boundary, making a total of approximately 400 hectares. The area includes a disused quarry (referred to as the 'Rinker' site), which is intended to be rehabilitated.
An amendment to the Development Plans of the Corporation of the Town of Gawler and The Barossa Council is therefore being proposed to:
- Provide the conditions needed to enable the orderly and economical expansion of the Gawler township and to establish a new master planned community
- Provide the conditions required to develop underused rural/rural living zoned land
- Provide for the existing and future demand for a range of housing types, including compact and affordable residential allotments
- Provide opportunities for additional community, educational, recreational, commercial and retail facilities to support the new population
- Facilitate the rehabilitation of the existing sand quarry
- Provide appropriate links with the established community without affecting the existing infrastructure
- Encourage and facilitate 'best practice' in terms of urban planning, urban design and sustainable development.
To inform the community consultation process, the State Government has also published the Gawler Growth Areas Transport Framework, which can be found online at the Department of Transport, Energy and Infrastructure web site at http://www.dtei.sa.gov.au
What is a Development Plan Amendment?
A Development Plan contains the zones, maps and rules ('policies') that guide what can and cannot be done in the future with any piece of land within the area covered by the Plan. These zones, maps and policies provide the criteria against which development applications are assessed.
A Development Plan Amendment (DPA) is a document that describes changes being proposed to a Development Plan. There are strict processes surrounding a DPA process, a key part of which is to formally release the DPA document to give members of the public a chance to make written comments about the proposed changes. At the end of the submission period, a public meeting is scheduled. Submitters can request to comment further about the DPA at this meeting.
Area affected
The affected land encompasses portions of the suburbs of Gawler East, Gawler South (within the Town of Gawler) and Kalbeeba (within The Barossa Council). A map showing the area affected is available to download here:
What zoning changes are proposed in the DPA?
The main changes proposed by the DPA are to introduce policies which:
- Will provide for a range of housing types, including compact and affordable residential allotments
- Will enable the establishment of supporting commercial, retail, educational and community facilities
- Will provide for the incorporation of suitably located and sized areas of public open space that will serve a variety of functions, including passive and active recreation, pedestrian and cyclist links to surrounding facilities, biodiversity and habitat, and buffers to adjoining activities
- Will support the inclusion of wetlands and stormwater management initiatives within the proposed open space network.
Want to know more?
The complete DPA document is available to download here:
Gawler East DPA [PDF 12.43 MB]
It can also be obtained in hard copy by visiting (during office hours):
- The Corporation of the Town of Gawler, 89 Murray Street, Gawler SA, 5118
- The Barossa Council, 43-51 Tanunda Road, Nuriootpa, SA, 5355
- The Department of Planning and Local Government, Level 5, 136 North Terrace, Adelaide, 5000 tel: (08) 8303 0791.
A Community Information Sheet about the DPA is available for download here:
Have your say
The consultation process is run by the Development Policy Advisory Committee, an independent statutory committee which provides advice to the Minister on planning and development issues. The consultation includes the acceptance of written submissions and a public meeting.
Written submissions
Written submissions on the DPA were received for a period of eight weeks from Thursday 21 May 2009 to Thursday 16 July 2009.
Public meeting
Following the close of written submissions, a public meeting at which submitters can present verbally is scheduled. For this DPA, the public meeting was held on:
- Thursday 30 July 2009 at 7pm in The Reserve Room, Gawler Arms Hotel
102 Murray Street, Gawler SA.
What happens then?
Following the consultation process and the receipt of a report from the Development Policy Advisory Committee, the Minister will consider whether to make amendments to the DPA and then whether to proceed with its implementation. If the DPA is adopted, the policy and mapping changes proposed will be made to the Development Plans of the Corporation of the Town of Gawler and The Barossa Council.
Further information
If you would like more information about this DPA, please contact the Department of Planning and Local Government on (08) 8303 0754 or by email to lewis.susan4@saugov.sa.gov.au
