Your Say: Animal Management Plan

The  Animal Management Plan 2021-2025 is currently under development and will include your greater involvement and endorsement over the coming months.

As a prelude to that involvement, Council has already started collecting information from our community in the form of a Survey.  The aim of this Survey is to review the existing provisions for dogs within the City of Unley’s parks, reserves, and sporting ovals, including on-leash, off-leash and dog prohibited areas.

 The Survey focuses on dog provisions in the following types of public open space:

Public open space	Existing dog provisions
Sporting ovals	Off-leash at all times, except during sporting activities
Parks with time-share arrangements	On-leash between 10 am - 5 pm, daily
Parks with different zones in the same park	Parks with a combination of off-leash, on-leash or dogs prohibited areas
Local parks/reserves	Dogs on-leash at all times
Fenced/unfenced children’s playgrounds	Dogs prohibited at all times – fenced Dogs prohibited within 3 metres - unfenced

 

The Survey will be open until the 18 August 2020 and will be promoted through social media and through signage which is to be placed at parks, reserves and sporting ovals.

    https://yoursay.unley.sa.gov.au/dog-access-in-parks-and-reserves

 

Full Council meeting, July 27th, 2020

The following may be of interest:

• 2020-21 Annual Business Plan: This has taken a lot of planning and has taken some hits as far as income is concerned and  consequent changes.  The highlights are:

1. Rate increase of 0%
2. Growth rate of .7%
3. Projected surplus of $1.3m
4. Operating projects of $0.7m
5. Renewal of Capital Works of  $7.6m
6. New Capital works of $2.7m
7. No new borrowings
8. Maintaining existing services

Key environmental items include tree planting, greening verges,water wells, a Climate Energy Plan, flood hazard policy update and climate change resilience programs. Council will continue to host a staged start for the Tour Down Under but the Gourmet Gala has been cancelled.

• 2020-21 Long Term Financial Plan:
• Millswood Sporting Complex-Millswood Croquet-New Clubrooms: The concept design is now complete and needs Council approval to  undertake community consultation. This plan is exiting for the club and it's members. (see separate blog for the design concept)
• Animal Management Plan: This report is an update on what has been achieved in the final year of a 4 year plan:While the percentage of trained dogs and  registered dogs have not met target the use use of an electronic database has been successful as has been highly regarded.
• Conservation Grants 2019-20: Council offers grants to assist with the restoration of heritage protected buildings,: grant applications totally nearly $45,000 have been recommended. Many of the properties were in Clarence Park. Grants were also given for pruning significant trees.
• Request for Rate Relief- Sturt Football Club: Sturt like many businesses has taken a fall in revenue during COVID-19 and are asking for fee  and rate relief up to  nearly $20,000.
• Financial Measures to Meet Tree Canopy Target: Council continues to grapple with a realistic and fair way to encourage more trees to be planted on private land.
• Statutes Amended (Local Government Review) Bill 2020: Council will consider the range of changes proposed in the current bill that is before the parliament; these include fewer councillors, better ways to manage poor behavior and rate capping. It has some good things but a few of the obvious and necessary changes have been overlooked; these being compulsory voting and on-line voting which would make an historic change for the better rather that fiddling with the edges.
• Centennial Park Cemetery Authority Charter:
• Centennial Park_Liability Guarantee Fee 2020: CONFIDENTIAL
• Appointment of Members to Brown Hill Creek Stormwater Board: CONFIDENTIAL
• Assessment of CEO's 2019-20 Key Performance Indicators: CONFIDENTIAL

Your Say on the Edmund Ave cottages

Council is now asking residents to comment on the proposed upgrades to the Edmund Ave cottages. These are the cottages, that include the Unley Museum that border the Village Green. Following public disquiet about potential uses of the Green a working party selected from interested residents was convened. This group have worked tirelessly on new ideas and updates that could could enhance the area. This proposal meets their  expectations and is  supported by them and Council. Please take the time to read the information and let Council know what you think?

https://yoursay.unley.sa.gov.au/edmund-avenue-cottages-concept-design

When it comes to microchipping, don’t forget your cat.

Microchipping is compulsory

Microchipping is mandatory by law, and all microchip information must be recorded online. Remember to keep the personal details linked to your cat’s chip up to date. For example, if you move to a new house or change phone numbers, you must update your information on Dogs and Cats Online.

Who can microchip your pet?

By law, only a qualified implanter can microchip a dog or cat.

Arrange for your cat to be microchipped by a vet or book into a nearby Chip Blitz microchipping day. Chip Blitz offer an affordable service at just $10 per pet and hold microchipping events across Adelaide. Visit the ChipBlitz website to find an upcoming location near you.

What They have Heard: but will they make the change?

Late in June the What We Heard Report was finally released. A link to it can be found here. To summarise they received 1790 applications of which 1414 were from the general public. It would seem that Black Forest and Clarence Park( west) residents have been heard it that the report acknowledges that the Technical Numeric Variations were not seen to have been applied fairly and that the conversion of many suburbs to General Neighbourhood zones instead of Suburban Neighbourhood zones was not well received in Council areas such as Unley. Also mentioned were an overwhelming desire to retain 1700 mm sill heights and for the increased tree canopy measures. The implementation of changes (hopefully consistent with consultation) will now not be implemented until December, at the earliest. For now we can do little more than wait and hope that common sense will prevail.