Full Council Meeting: Tuesday 29th March

The following items may be of interest:

• Deputations for property owners that bound 75 King William Rd and from The Sturt Football Club regarding the upgrade of the Unley Oval Grandstands
• King William Rd and Arthur St intersection: After much investigation it seems that the sight lines are being blocked by the positioning of A-frames and good fro sale rather than verandah posts. This calls to light Council Policy on signage and the necessity for staff to work with shop owners to achieve the greatest number of customers but not at the expense of safety, or perceived safety, of road users.
• Future Grandstand Upgrades at Unley Oval- Results of Community Engagement: Council have been asked to consider feedback, mostly positive about the proposed upgrading. Unfortunately, many (30%) of the responses were from people who do not live near the Oval and do not even live in Unley.  My concerns at this stage still remains around funding and what priority Council should give to this project when other projects are at least as needy: eg Millswood Lawns and Goodwood Saints facilities.  My other concerns are regarding the sale of 39 Oxford Tce and the proportion of funding that Sturt should be putting into the project.
• Informal Gatherings Policy: This might seem a little dull but following legislative changes all gatherings of Council must now be open to the public. That is all Council workshops; the workshops where Council is often accused of making decisions outside of public view.  So if the topic interests you lets see you all there. I'll make a point of updating you on the workshop schedule just as soon as they are open.
• Submission to the Stormwater Management Authority regarding Brown Hill Crk: the revised  t to the Stormwater Management Plan has been submitted to the SMA.

Cremorne Plaza approval lapses

This should be good news for some. Development approval, given by the state government's DAC , not Unley Council, has lapsed.  If the developer wants to go ahead with the approval they would need to seek further approvals. However, the project did offer the opportunity for increased residential living and been a catalyst for other such developments on Unley Rd. Love them or hate them its hard not to see the difference when you venture to Norwood Pde. It now clearly outsrips both Unley Rd and King William Rd for vibrancy and activity. Residents talk about the apartment approvals with enthusiasm and forward thinking!

Plant Rescue

I was reminded when reading the story in today's Advertiser what a great service these dedicated people offer. Not only do they recycle unwanted plants and turn them into other people's treasures they also donate the money that they raise from the sale of plants to charity. So if you are digging up something that you don't want (other than weeds of course) please give 83511683 a call to see if they might be able to become  much loved by someone else.

Fruit trees in parks!

Council has been gradually planting fruit trees in parks, you may have noticed them most recently at Fullarton Park? The newest plantings will be undertaken by students from Goodwood PS in Sotar Park (Albert St) next week. Princess Margaret Playground has been deemed to be suitable but the chosen site for next year is yet to be determined..

Byron Rd, can we get it right this time?

As those of you who live in Byron Rd are aware the consultation has commenced on the type of traffic management devices that  should be installed to further calm the traffic. Given that the upgrade  of South Rd  between Emerson Crossing and  Anzac Hwy is now likely to be at least 10 years away Council has decided to proceed with further calming of traffic in Byron rd. residents have been asked if they wish to retain the status quo, to add an additional pillow on the top of existing slow points or for the removal of the existing slow points and replacement with Watts Profile speed humps (and more of them) as in Forest Ave. Residents have been given until the 4th April to have their say. What do you think?

Sharrows: Lyons Pde

Was good to see the story in the Eastern Courier last week regarding the vandalism of some unknown individual. The sharrows painted by Council on the road have been  painted out now on more than one occasion. if you have any idea who might be doing this then please let Council know.

People for Public Transport lend a hand

Last week I met with some very genuine people from People for Public Transport. They looked at the recently installed additional fencing near Millswood Station and where the much loved track used to be. We then traipsed down to the new fencing that connects Chelmsford Ave to Victoria St and compared the two situations. Hopefully, they will have a little more clout and have another go at getting the track reopened.

Be Safe Be Seen - Bike SA presentation

WHEN: Wednesday 23^rd MARCH 2016 at 6pm-6.30pm

WHERE: Civic Centre Bar area

WHAT: The Bike SA and Motor Accident Commission  (MAC) Be Safe Be Seen presentation reveals the findings of NEW SA cycling casualty research; providing local, detailed information on where and how crashes most commonly occur, and how best to avoid them.

Every attendee receives a safety gift pack, containing: quality USB bike light, saddle bag, backpack cover, slap bands & free 3 month membership to Bike SA. (Please note: these are strictly limited to those in attendance on the day).

Highly relevant to ALL levels of experience, including the most experienced cyclist and motorists, the presentation contains surprising and essential information for anyone using our roads.

FESTIVAL OF MUD:just for the kids

OUTDOOR ADVENTURES APLENTY IN UNLEY’S FESTIVAL OF MUD

A festival to celebrate nature, outdoor play and healthy childhood development will be hosted by the City of Unley next month.

                                                                                                                      

The Festival of Mud, which will run throughout April, will offer a range of activities and interactive nature play, including cubby building, parkour, clay pottery, a mud kitchen and a Mad Hatter’s garden party.

City of Unley Community Development Officer Alyssa Hill said the nature of children’s playtime had dramatically changed over the past two decades and it was important that screen time was balanced with outdoor activity.

“We need to give children the same opportunities we had as kids. This festival is about kids going outside and making their own fun without the pressures of competitive sport,” Ms Hill said.

Nature Play SA CEO Sarah Sutter said: “Mud play has been associated with a range of benefits including increased happiness, improved wellbeing, stronger immunity and a connection with nature.”

The festival also aims to teach parents and teachers new skills through workshops and information sessions so that they can help their children and students embrace nature play.

An Adventure Day in Ridge Park hosted by the Glen Osmond Scout Group will kick off the festivities on Sunday, April 3.

The Festival of Mud is a collaboration between the City of Unley, City of Burnside, Playgroup SA, Principals Australia Institute, Kids Matter, Nature Play SA, Natural Resources Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges and the Department of Education and Child Development.

Most activities throughout the month are free but some are ticketed and require bookings. For more information, please visit unley.sa.gov.au/community-culture/events

FESTIVAL OF MUD PROGRAM

Parklets: who should pay?

Remember the controvesy regarding the build out of the curb at Maud St, Unley (A Mother's Milk) and who should pay? You might also remember that Council agreed to pay half of the cost. This has now been constructed. What is of concern to me is the next curb extensions to facilitate outdoor dining will be built on King William rd; one at the corner of Opey Ave (Cotto) and the other at the corner of Bloomsbury St (Nutrition Republic). Both of these businesses seemed to be thriving this morning when I ate a great breakfast at Stumps. Delicious and I'm still not hungry.
My concern is that the Council intends to build these at no cost to the restaurants? What do you think?

The current parlet in KWR (not associated with a restaurant)

A tram down Unley Rd

The 8 storey building already approved.

This probably won't affect anybody much that lives in Clarence Park Ward. But it would affect the desirability of living on or near Unley Rd in a high rise development. The more apartments that can be built there the less the pressure will be to carve up Black Forest. The Unley Central proposal that has been presented to the Development and Strategy Committee has included a tram  as a potential transport option in the locality. What still needs a lot of work is the access to the shopping centre and how traffic will be managed east of Unley Rd.

Green wall for the Civic Centre

A green wall will soon appear at the Civic Centre. It will be approx 7m by 4 m. Some of the outcomes from the project will include;

• Create a welcoming entry statement to the Civic Centre Building
• Cooling of building façade in summer afternoons (Research and observations in Australia show that green walls reduce wall surface temperature by 10ºC )
• Demonstrate ways to find more green space in non-traditional places.
• Air quality improvement
• Vegetation will lower temperature in the entry vicinity, particularly during afternoon summer sun. 

Property tax proposed to help extend tram network?

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/messenger/north-northeast/federal-government-floats-idea-of-property-tax-to-help-expand-adelaides-tram-network/news-story/d205e76e09ade85aa0f2ebf12d01c192?sv=2cf48bdde7c2c63cd8253793b49e8723&csp=52fc4beedc63dafbaa332f29ae3455ac
The above link will take you to the Messenger article. The current Unley Council seems generally pretty supportive of getting a tram down Unley Rd knowing that Council will never be in a position to help fund such a project. Maybe funding the infrastructure in this manner has some merit?

Paid Parking:where to from here?

You will have heard by now that the paid parking trail in Railway Tce South has failed. This has failed as  a portion of the land used for parking is owned by DPTI as part of the tram reserve. DPTI have been aware of Council's plans to introduce paid parking and yet left it to the last minute to embarrass Council staff on this matter. The Trial in Bartley Cres remains active. This is unlikely to ease the increased pressure that residents in Aroha Tce are experiencing for parking spaces as the 4 hour parking limits will remain. Staff at Goodwood Primary School have also been allowed to overstay the parking restrictions near the school which has upset a few people as well.  Council has yet to decide a way forward on the trial.