Charlotte Varcoe
COMPTON residents have hit back at the District Council of Grant over a number of potential rezoning proposals.
It comes following elected members approving the Strategic Land Use Priorities Project which was done alongside the Limestone Coast Regional Plan.
The successful rezoning of townships throughout the council’s area could result in almost 6000 additional allotments.
Council approved the project, which estimates the possibility for up to 5825 additional allotments and a population increase of 14,557.
Compton had the most projected growth with up to 2472 additional allotments and 6176 population growth, whereas the Compton A rural living area has the least number of additional allotments with 20 and only 50 population growth.
The project was in response to the Limestone Coast Regional Plan which will support future potential rezoning over a 15-to-30-year period.
There is an expected focus on the “integration” of land use, transport infrastructure and the public realm.
The document focuses on two different types of growth – employment and residential – while also providing a detailed assessment and priority actions and recommendations relating to key land uses in the council area for consideration by the State Planning Commission.
A Compton Sustainable Rural Living Group spokesperson said the concerns of the community was those who lived in the area invested there for the rural lifestyle.
“More recently people have built houses there, they have followed all the guidelines and rules for rural living and the bottom line is we want to protect our rural landscape and any development should be done in a sustainable way,” the spokesperson said.
“We want it so it flows through the area as rural living and anything outside of that is total fragmentation to the area as it sits today.”
They said this was in particular with density development, endorsements and applications which did not fit a rural living area.
“Anything under 5000 square metres will fragment the areas as we see it today,” they said.
“I am only a representation for a large group of people invested in the area and they have moved out that way for the rural outlook and the sustainability of the rural area.
“It is not an urban development area and anything in regards to high density should be done to the north of the city where the infrastructure currently sits.”
They said there were growing concerns over many years about rezoning Compton and other areas.
“Over many years there has been objection to there being no sustainability to protect this landscape on the 5000 square metre block,” the spokesperson said.
“The rezoning will bring traffic to the area and it will clearly not be rural as at the moment rural living is farm fencing and open outwards but once you start putting density into these areas it is no different to urban development.”
The spokesperson said the group wanted council to “hear their voice” and “work for the community” with many people stating they felt frustrated and emotional.
“They have made objections or have written numerous times and clearly displayed they do not want urban development in a rural area,” they said.
Grant Council Mayor Kylie Boston said after elected members approved the document, council would now seek a meeting with the Minister for Planning Nick Champion with investigations of a regional industrial park adjacent to the Mount Gambier and Districts Saleyards a priority.
“Tidying up those industrial areas is probably a high priority and then we will look at opportunities at Port MacDonnell which has been highlighted in the plan too,” Ms Boston said.
She said the engagement regarding the plan had been “far and wide” after meeting with industry stakeholders, businesses and briefings with the City of Mount Gambier.
“We have given the community the final chance to have the consultation and I think it is fabulous we have had as many responses as we did and it has been varied,” she said.
“That does make it hard for us because we can never keep everyone happy but what we have done is hope we have protected the agricultural land while also giving expansion to residential areas and allowing us to make good decisions.”
Feedback from community members across the Grant District included concerns with key challenges with resident population ranging from a lack of housing diversity, conflict between residential development and primary production activity, underdeveloped infrastructure and lack of essential services to businesses needing a higher local population to sustain business confidence.
Many responses stated Compton block development should remain rural in order to protect farmland while some also called for more development near Eight Mile Creek.
Others responded claiming Glenburnie was a good place for future development as well as in the Worrolong area.
There were a number of responses against the “high density” development currently considered for the McKay Road and White Avenue with many claiming they purchased land there to escape the “hustle and bustle” of town.
The document is available to view on council’s website.
