26 December 2020

Animal Management Plan

 

 


Dear Your Say Unley participant

The City of Unley is developing a new Animal Management Plan. This Plan will help guide our management of Dogs and Cats, and other animals including chickens, birds and even bees, over the next five years, while embracing a culture of responsible pet ownership. 

The Draft Plan includes a set of priorities, goals and actions, and we’re really keen to get a sense, through our survey, as to what’s most important to you.

Whether you own a pet or not, we would like to hear your thoughts on the Draft Plan's contents.

  • What do you like about the Draft Plan, and what can we improve?
  • What aspects of the Draft Plan do you see as a priority?
  • What other ideas would you like to share?

Please visit Your Say Unley to learn more and complete the survey by 5pm Wednesday 3 February.

16 December 2020

Unley Central High rise

 

Council have worked for a long time to get development where it belongs, that is in the heart of Unley. This development ticks all boxes with it being built within agreed limits, having 15% tree canopy over and being scaled back at 30 degrees where it interfaces with residential property. While this has already taken years of had work for Council it will still need to be approved by the SCAP, and will take quite a while to deliver in its entirety. 

15 December 2020

Full Council meeting : Dec 13th 2020

 


You might find the following of interest:

  • Weller/Simpson Streetscape Improvements Consultation Results: The consultation results were divided on the extension of the Weller St slow points. Nevertheless, even before the effectiveness of the work in Weller Street has been reviewed Council have chosen to go to detailed design for this extension. While I acknowledge the need to encourage  more cycles onto this path without safe crossing lights or a crossing similar to the others in the new section where pedestrians and cyclists (walking their bikes)  have the right of way, at Simpson Pde may be shortsighted. PASSED
  • Community Land Management Plan for Endorsement: This is a complex document that describes all Community land an the level of service that each should get. PASSED
  • Asset Management Plan for Endorsement: This describes all of Council assets and how they should be managed: PASSED
  • Planning and Design Code Review and Submission: This document identifies the continued flaws in the new Design Code and suggests improvements in  trying to achieve like for like in the new plan; These flaws include
# Not really having to plant a tree in every yard there are ways out of it
# 45 degree interface with high rise buildings instead of 30 degrees
# 1500mm cill heights rather than 1700mm (more overlooking) and gaps in the screens are OK
# More public notification
# Garages big enough to park a car in PAASSED
  • Review of Nature Strips Policy: This is about banning the use of artificial turf on council nature strips. There seems to be better design coming for this substance but at the moment on a hot day you could expect it to be 20 degrees hotter than the ambient temperature where real lawn would be 5-10 degrees cooler PASSED with amendment.
  • BHKC Infrastructure Partnership Program and Grant Application: Council modified the staff report asking for  cost/benefit analysis before committing additional funds. PASSED with amendment
  • Unley Central Concept Plan: CONFIDENTIAL


06 December 2020

What's it like to be the longest serving Councillor in Unley?

Published in the East Adelaide Herald on 3/12/2020

As a much younger person (43) I was elected to Unley Council, while I had an interest in Council it would be overstating to say I had a passion. Nevertheless, as the 1995 election date loomed closer a friend encouraged me to run for Council. Not because they thought I’d be great but because he wanted an election in the ward to provide an opportunity for he and his fellow councillor to be scrutinised by the people in an election. In fact he guaranteed me that I couldn’t win: with this in mind I lodged my nomination Two days later I was elected unopposed (the colleague had withdrawn his nomination) and the journey began.

I enjoyed being on Council for the two year term and was confident enough with my skills to run for Mayor. My time on Council was short and sweet as I lost. I sat back and watched but kept my distance and tried not to be that person that harped on.

In 2006, I believed, once again that it was time. The facts weren’t much different this time. I ran because I thought one of the candidates was hopeless, he withdrew his name and once more I was elected unopposed. This time I had an agenda and set about to get things done.

14 years later and now the longest serving  member of Unley Council (but nowhere near the oldest) I look back and ponder as to what has changed.

I can remember being able to talk to applicants sand representors (planning matters); to be able to discuss, assist and negotiate with them, the phone ran constantly asking for advice. Now we must keep at arms length when discussing development.

I remember getting large agendas on a Thursday evening and had to be ready to debate the following Monday evening. This actually hasn’t changed, although there is a push for electronic agendas, but now the items on the agenda will have been workshopped at least once before they get to be on the agenda. Sometimes there is little left to say. I really enjoyed the debate as each member took the floor and expressed their opinion not knowing what they would say. I miss this robust debate and it seems that it is more often possible to predict the  outcome and much is left unsaid at the end.

Almost all contact with residents now is via email. People I communicate with every week might be strangers in the street. People expect a much higher level of information to be disseminated and hence regular newsletters, facebook postings, blog posts, twitter are beginning to seem normal.

When I do meet with residents it's nearly always at a local coffee shop.

Given this I don't think I'll ever give op paper agendas and I hate Zoom meetings, they're just not the same. 

What's next is anybody's guess but the journey will, hopefully, always be  exciting and the fire in my belly alight.

This morning's chat with residents





It was great to see so many people this morning at Rise and Grind. The topics discussed included;

  • The safety of the railway crossing for pedestrians at East Ave
  • The extensive leaf litter  in Clarence Park, Black Forest and Millswood
  • South Rd upgrade
  • Development on Cross Road
  • Declaring a climate emergency
  • Additional yellow lines to reduce parking congestion
Some people came just to say than you. What a wonderful world we live in.