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Community ‘up in arms’ over development

Posted on September 26, 2008, 2:02pm and updated on September 27, 2008 at 8:21 am ,  0 views

Community anger over the proposed $20 million redevelopment of the old hospital site is continuing to grow, according to a prominent Mount Gambier businessman who has expressed outrage over the plan.

“My phone hasn’t stopped ringing this week. People haven’t understood about the low cost, high density housing subdivision proposed for that site,” OG Roberts dealer principal Peter Roberts said.

“I had no knowledge of the proposal until it was in The Border Watch last Friday.

“After learning about this, the community has been up in arms.”

Mr Roberts urged the community to come forward and express their views on the development, which will include a retirement village, land subdivision blocks for housing, a new six-storey apartment building, along with the redeveloped dilapidated hospital site.

“This is about Mount Gambier’s future. Mistakes have been made been regarding that land in the past, we don’t want it to happen again,” Mr Roberts said.

The controversial blueprint - proposed by Adelaide developers Boots and Partners - is being considered by Mount Gambier City Council’s Planning Assessment Panel.

The panel met for the first time last week over the proposal, but failed to reach an outcome.

While conceding the land was now privately owned, Mr Roberts claimed council and the public should consider the long-term ramifications of such high density development on the edge of the Valley Lake.

Mr Roberts claimed the proposal “clearly” contravened council’s own development policy framework for that area.

In a letter to The Border Watch earlier this week, he described the proposal as “absolutely ludicrous”.

Mr Roberts also raised questions over whether the community was adequately informed about the developer’s new proposal.

“There was no public consultation over the proposal to my knowledge - the community was not aware about what was happening,” he claimed.

He said his major concerns included: a mix-match of buildings on the site, low cost housing on one of Mount Gambier “dress circle areas”, the new high rise apartment and the high density land subdivision for houses.

“While I respect it is private land, we cannot allow someone to subdivide land just to allow them to develop the old hospital site which is uneconomical,” Mr Roberts said.

Mr Roberts said the land - which was originally sold to local developers for $750,000 by the State Government - was never intended to be carved up for high density housing.

He also claimed the old hospital building - which had been a blight on the city’s landscape for too long - should had been demolished “years ago”.

Mayor declines to comment on application

Mount Gambier Mayor Steve Perryman will not comment over the proposed development at the old hospital site, claiming “council” cannot give its opinion on the controversial application.

In a statement to The Border Watch late yesterday afternoon, Mr Perryman said the application was being assessed by council’s independent Development Assessment Panel (DAP).

“As it is an application that is currently in the system, council cannot comment about the application itself, council can however make comment on the process,” Mr Perryman said.

He said the proposed development was being assessed as a category three application.

“This means that the independent council DAP is the planning authority that will determine whether an application is refused or approved with conditions,” Mr Perryman said.

“The role of the independent council DAP is to determine whether an application meets the requirements of the City of Mount Gambier Development Plan and the South Australian Development Act 1993.”

He said the DAP “sits outside of council’s control”.

“The council writes the development plan or ’sets the rules’ and the independent council DAP assesses applications against these rules and makes an assessment on planning merit only,” the mayor said.

But he rejected claims council did not inform the community over the new development plans lodged for that site.

Mr Perryman said public notices were published in The Border Watch in June 2008 and those who made submissions were notified of the time and date of the independent DAP meeting.

He said appeal rights existed for a category three application.

Developer remains confident

Meanwhile, Adelaide-based developer Damian Boots said yesterday he was confident the DAP would support the application.

While not wanting to be drawn into community controversy over the proposal, Mr Boots said the DAP had requested more information over aspects of the proposal.

“It is a lot for the panel members to absorb,” Mr Boots said.

But he conceded he wanted the matter resolved as “soon as possible”.

“It will be terrific development for the site and the community. We continue to be committed to the site and the development,” Mr Boots said.

“Ultimately, the decision is with the DAP.”

SANDRA MORELLO

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Comments

3 Responses to “Community ‘up in arms’ over development”

  1. Graeme Richards on September 26th, 2008 8:51 pm 1

    What is wrong with developing this area? At the moment it is an eyesore with tourists going to Potters Point and locals driving past.

    At the moment there are houses backed right up to the Valley Lake; the Blue Lake has houses plus a television station on its doorstep so why not develop this and get the old hospital tidied up?

    Mr Roberts should forget his not in my back yard (NIMBY) reasons and be more positive.

    Okay, have a look at the development and make some changes if necessary. Please stop mocking these developments. It means getting new people into town and helping all businesses.

  2. sue on September 26th, 2008 11:08 pm 2

    Graeme, developing the old hospital site isn’t getting new people into town, it’s inviting people here to die in comfort!

    Just how many “retirement homes and units” are needed for a town of this size? Shouldn’t we be focusing on affordable housing options for our kids who are gainfully employed by businesses that have been in the Mount just as long as O>G Roberts etc?

    People who were born in the Mount (mostly in the old bloody hospital!) have chosen to raise the second generation of their family here for the benefits of what there is to offer, not to be first on the list for an “aged” unit!

    Besides, if the council had have let the community know that the site was to be sold for $750,000 guaranteed, it would still be owned by locals for locals!

  3. graeme richards on September 28th, 2008 2:29 pm 3

    Sue, don’t you realise how much employment this would create and how many older people there are in our community? The population is getting older, have a look at Woodlands to see for yourself that it’s expanding.

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