Middleton residents want Alexandrina Council to stop rezoning plans which would make way for up to 250 homes
More than 200 homes have been proposed for Middleton, but some of its existing people say it’s being rushed – and they should first wait for a plan for the town’s future.
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A Middleton residents’ group hopes the local council will put the kybosh on plans to make way for up to 250 new homes in their town.
Alexandrina Council will on Monday vote whether to begin the process of rezoning farming land to make way for residential development.
Middleton Town and Foreshore Association vice-president Mark Laurie believed the council’s administration was rushing to proceed before statewide planning changes were introduced next year.
His group wants the council to delay the move until after a master plan, setting out a vision for the town’s future, is complete.
A consortium of land owners has approached Alexandrina in a bid to have a 20ha parcel of land, on Middleton’s western approach, rezoned to make way for housing.
“It’s opportunistic and it’s not been raised with the community at all,” Mr Laurie said.
“To be rushing it through with haste now doesn’t seem to be the proper role of (the) council and we’re deeply concerned about that.”
Consultancy firm Ethos Urban completed an economic assessment, finding Middleton’s vacant residential land is largely exhausted.
A report to Alexandrina Council said Middleton theoretically had a three-to-four-year land supply remaining – but the supply was likely to be “much lower” because few vacant parcels of land were hitting the market.
But Mr Laurie said there were “plenty of vacant blocks” in town.
Alexandrina Council has drafted a “statement of intent” to rezone the land, now classified as a “deferred urban” zone, which means it was set out for potential future development.
If approved, it will approach Planning Minister Stephan Knoll, who will decide whether it can begin preparing rezoning plans for consultation.
Councillors last month voted to adjourn their decision on the rezoning until after the Middleton township vision was complete, without debating the rezoning plan’s merits and shortfalls.
But following the meeting, the council announced the issue would be discussed again on September 16 because of “a meeting procedure anomaly”.
A report to councillors states it is “important … that the consideration of this proposal not be postponed until the new (state planning) system becomes operational”, because that would result in “significant delays”.
“Progression of this proposal is important whilst we have a consortium of landowners whom are working together to achieve the desired outcome,” the report said.
Alexandrina Mayor Keith Parkes said if the council voted to go ahead, residents would have plenty of opportunity to comment on whether the land should be rezoned, before the plans were approved.
“This is purely a process to put it out to the wider community to let them have a say,” Mr Parkes said.
michelle.etheridge@news.com.au
