Hills residents plead with Campbelltown Council to abandon boundary realignment plan
A north east council is under fire from Adelaide Hills residents over what it calls a “hostile takeover” of two suburbs, a move worth more than $1m in rates revenue.
Adelaide Hills
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Residents are pleading with Campbelltown Council to stop pursuing its “hostile takeover” of two Hills suburbs.
The Morialta Residents’ Association has written to Campbelltown Mayor Jill Whittaker, asking her to abandon plans to claim large parts of Rostrevor and Woodforde from Adelaide Hills Council.
Association secretary Steve Swan said the group’s 160 members believed the move was based solely on monetary value, with the proposed boundary change worth more than $1 million in rate revenue.
“Campbelltown Council is pursuing its hostile takeover of neighbouring Adelaide Hills Council territory, despite only having been asked to pursue the change by a handful of affected ratepayers and in the face of overwhelming opposition from residents,” Mr Swan said.
“A survey conducted by the Adelaide Hills Council earlier this year, covering all residents of Woodforde and Rostrevor, resoundingly confirmed this once again.
“A clear majority of the 268 survey respondents rejected the move – 81 per cent in Rostrevor, 52 per cent in Woodforde and a clear 65 per cent overall.
“So it’s clear this isn’t about residents but rate revenue.”
Adelaide Hills Council has also stepped up its opposition to the proposal, with elected members this week resolving to provide no further help to Campbelltown, other than that required by legislation.
It followed a motion put forward by Cr Mark Osterstock, prompted by a survey conducted by the council in November last year.
“Two thirds of survey residents that responded indicated their preference that the status quo remain, rejecting the Campbelltown proposal for a boundary realignment,” Cr Osterstock said.
“So it’s a shame that the Campbelltown City Council does not respect the community’s wishes on this matter and … are persisting with their proposal.”
Campbelltown was given permission from the Local Government Boundaries Commission to begin the second stage of claiming large parts of the two suburbs in July last year.
The change will affect 495 property owners in areas including the new Hamilton Hill residential development on the site of the former Magill Youth Training Centre and Rostrevor College.
Mayor Whittaker said her council’s move to push ahead with the rezoning proposal followed requests fro residents.
“We’re really in the exploring phase at this stage … as a number of people in these local communities told us that they want to be part of Campbelltown,” Ms Whittaker said.
“So what we’re asking is for a cooperative relationship with the Adelaide Hills Council as, in the end, this is about the residents who may well benefit from coming to Campbelltown, or they may not.”