31 October 2019

The story of two palms

Image result for canary palm treeEvery now and again I get a request from a resident that is so compelling that I feel I need to act immediately and try to achieve an outcome that is favourable for this person. Not long ago the friend of a resident approached me about a Canary Island palm in Langdon Ave. This tree, almost inexplicably, is on the Council register of important trees even though it is not significant and id within 10 m of a house. This particular palm has been the roosting and launching site of pigeons and a dwelling place for rats. Council has done maintenance pruning from time to time on request. The problem is that the pigeons have made the life of at least one resident miserable.  After discussion with Council staff it was reiterated that the tree was healthy and would, therefore, not be removed. After discussing the matter with the CEO I  then put a motion to Council this week calling for the Council to support the resident in calling for the removal of the tree. After a lively debate this was  agreed to by Council. At the same time I also asked for  a similar palm to be removed from Culley St.
After these trees are removed they will be replaced by more suitable species and ones with a much larger canopy and more opportunity to shade. And the other good thing is that it may be possible for the trees to be removed and replanted elsewhere to provide instant landscaping.

23 October 2019

Are you sick of your dolomite verge?


Image result for verges in Clarence Park



Greening Verges are back for 2019! Unley residents and organisations are now eligible to apply for a Greening Verges Incentive to assist in greening their verge (nature strip).
For a limited number of successful applicants, Council will remove existing dolomite and replace with 100mm depth of soil at no cost, leaving the verges ready for planting.

Applications are available online or hardcopies at the Council Civic Centre. Applications close on Monday 18 November, but don't delay as spots will be allocated on a ‘first qualified in, first served’ basis. 
Please note that applicants must agree to source and pay costs associated with plants, planting the verge and ongoing maintenance.

Council encourages residents to take ownership of their verge areas as this enhances our streetscapes and the kerb appeal of residences throughout the City.
In addition to extra greenery, landscaping a verge contributes in many positive ways by:
  • providing a healthier environment for street trees
  • softening the effect of hard surfaces such as roads and footpaths
  • improving air quality
  • working at natural air conditioners through moisture in leaves
  • reducing stormwater run-off, and
  • providing habitat for small creatures like bees and butterflies.
Need Some Verge Garden Inspiration?

20 October 2019

Heritage and Character Forum

Wed 23rd Oct: 6:30 pm until 8 pm
Eastwood Community Centre, 96 Glen Osmond Rd, Eastwood

This is an opportunity to discuss heritage, character and contributory items in our community directly with David Pisoni and Stephan Knoll
Please let the know if you are attending. RSVP 83734846 or unley@parliament.sa.gov.au 

This forum will allow questions form the floor. If you have not attended one of these so far and you are interested in continued heritage protection in your suburb then attendance is essential.




Image result for David Pisoni photoImage result for stephan knoll mp

19 October 2019

This mornings chat at Rise and Grind

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was a time to catch up with an old friend and to listen to resident concerns. Over the 2 hours I had a chat with five different people. Their concerns were:
  • the use of glyphosate by Council. One person had attended the recent briefing of Council on the topic and was impressed with the presentation on alternate methods and in particular the effectiveness of steam. The other is already convinced that the risk is too great to continue its use. Now this topic is in public arena Chanel 7 did a story on it last night. One suggested that if the Council continues to spray it should alert people coming in contact with it if red dye was added to the liquid. He was also impressed with Councillor questions and buy in on the issue at the briefing
  • one person commented on the condition of the grass at Page Park
  • the other two were interested in traffic management and called for Council to look at lengthening the yellow lines that prevent parking in Forest Ave (at the corner with East Ave), and in Hartland Ave ( near the Aroha Tce corner) and speeding control in Addison Ave
Hope to see you next time, which will be November 16th, 10am to12pm. at Rise and Grind.

13 October 2019

Exploring alternate Weed Management solutions

Image result for steam weed control australiaA workshop to be held tomorrow on the above topic will be open to the public. (6:30 pm ant the Civic Centre). At the workshop Councillors will hear a presentation from the UrbanVirons Group about a trial that they are currently undertaking to manage weeds in an urban setting using steam. Given the recent concerns expressed by our community with the use of Glyphosate this information will be timely. Hopefully, it  it allow the budget process for next financial year to include alternate weed control in some areas of Council.

Museum launch: On Your Bike


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Exhibition Launch Thursday 31st October 5-7pm
Opening on 31st October is our next major exhibition On Your Bike.  
The exhibition explores all things bikes!  With plenty of bikes to see and things to do, you can learn all about the bike and where it came from.  Find out where to ride now and the history of cycling and bikes in South Australia.
With artwork by Jimmy Dodd, an interview with Olympic cyclist Stephanie Morton and things to do like test your power on our generator bike, this exhibition has something for everyone. 
The event is free and open to the public.
31st October, 5-7pm
Unley Museum
80 Edmund Avenue

08 October 2019

You contaminate it then you pay

Image result for contaminated recycling wasteTechnology has improved so much that recyclables can be scanned as they go in the truck. The  load can the be rejected and it will be possible for offenders to be sent warning noticed and/or fined. As most of you are aware China refused to take our recyclables as they were too often contaminated with material that should have gone in either the rubbish or green bin. Some councils are experiencing a contamination  rate as high as 26%. As Council looks at a new waste contract  we must also look at innovative ways to continue to reduce waste, and to recycle well what can be reused. We must also consider emptying the blue bin less often.

Its all about subdivision

Image result for Infill housing adelaideThe new residential planning code that was released last week  has given some insights into existing planning. 40% of new housing is now  provided by subdivision rather than greenfield's development. These allotments have been created by the demolition of 12,000 homes. There seems to be some attempt to raise that minimum block sizes an some areas. It also focuses on increasing tree planting and garden space as well ensuring garaging is usable (you can open the doors when you get inside the garage) and convenient. Rainwater tanks and off-sire parking will still be required. I'm yet to read the plan in full but have looked at sections of interest. What does all this mean for Unley?

05 October 2019

Time to celebrate: upcoming events

Image result for Halloween On KWR


Party in the Park
Sun 13 October
Goodwood Community Centre Green Space
Zest Fest
21-25 October
Various Council facilities
Halloween on KWR
Sat 26 October
King William Rd
Fork on the Road
Sun 27 October
Orphanage Park, Millwood
Day of the Dead
Sat 2 November
Village Green
Goodwood Arthouse Pop Up Gallery and Marketplace
Fri 8 – Sun 10 November
Goodwood Primary School
Junk in the Trunk
Sun 10 November
Goodwood Community Centre Green Space
Celebrate Summer Street Party
Sat 16 November
Gilbert Street, Goodwood
Kings Park Clinic 60th Birthday Celebration
Sun 17 November
Church of the Trinity, Goodwood Road
Alliance Francaise French Market
Fri 22 - Sat 23 November
Soldiers Memorial Gardens
ETSY Made Local
Sat 23 November
Oxford Terrace
Cycling SA Unley  Criterium: CSA Super Series Round 8
Sun 24 November
Unley Oval Reserve & surrounding Streets
Junk in the Trunk
Sun 8 December
Goodwood Community Centre Green Space
Ignite Unley Cinema # 1
Fri 13 December
Opey Avenue, Hyde Park
Carols at the Rotunda
Sun 15 December
Soldiers Memorial Gardens
Unley Park Baptist Church Annual Street Party and Carols Night
Sun 22 December
Bellevue Place, Unley Park

Heywood Pard: new artwork


This stunning artwork has recently been installed in Heywood Park. It still needs the grass to grow on the mound. In the meantime stop, have look and enjoy.

03 October 2019

www.jennieboisvert.com is working again.

In early September I was sent a message from Google that my website would not renew as I had the automatic renewal button on  no. Try as I might I followed numerous links and dead ends and got nowhere. On the 19th, true to their word they no longer sponsored my blog and it went offline. As luck would have it the blog was originally setup in Blogspot and was still on line and working but with a slightly different address. I eventually found another company that would re-register the name, charge no more than before and after considerable tweaking it worked. As of Monday morning it was back. The problem was actually that Google no longer sponsors blogs and have sold this portion of the their business. Now if they had just told me that in the first place, given me the name of an alternate sponsor it all would have take a few minutes!

Millswood Parking

3 Hour Parking (no Arrow) Traffic Sign Aluminium 225x450mm R5-3 After community consultation parking controls were introduced into parts of Millswood in 2018. These controls have now been reviewed by Council and most seem to be working effectively. The assessment confirmed that there is now a greater availability of on-street parks in the area. However, some areas of Laught Ave seem to have so much  commuter parking that residents would like the parking controls to include a short section of this street. I will be meeting with staff to ascertain the follow up that might be required for this to be implemented.

New Planning Code

Image result for planning and design code south australia The new code was released for consultation on the 1st October. Submissions can be made until the 28th February. The new code reduces the zones across the state to about 60, but is over 3,000 pages in length. If you have the time look at the links. Of particular concern is the removal of Heritage Zones and how the plan intends for these homes to be protected from demolition. By their own admission this plan is more about providing opportunities for in-fill housing . See what you think


The Code, support materials, map links and the submission form can also be accessed from the SA Planning Portal.  These links have additional information.




https://dpti.geohub.sa.gov.au/portal/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=5fcfc772bf7d4c279ad9bb11c15bf419

The Council will be preparing a draft response for Council when staff have had time to read and analyse the proposal.