Mount Barker’s population is exploding – and will only grow even more. How will it cope?
The Hills town has taken in 9000 people in the past 11 years, and many more are coming. But will the infrastructure keep up?
Adelaide Hills
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Once known as the “cream bowl” of the Adelaide Hills, with cows outnumbering the locals 10 to one, Mount Barker has come a long way since the days of dairy farm dominance.
A growing population since the early 1980s has resulted in green pastures being replaced by sprawling housing and industrial estates, taking the city’s population to just under 39,000.
Mount Barker’s urban sprawl can be traced back to 2010, when the former Labor government rezoned 13,000ha to cater for Adelaide’s rapid population growth.
Since then, the once-quaint community has welcomed an extra 9000 people to its fold, with a further 12,000 set to call Mount Barker home by 2036.
The former government revealed its long-term growth plan for the city in a December 2010 press release, including a $550m commitment in new infrastructure to “help meet the growing demand of this important regional centre”.
“Ultimately, the long-term investment will benefit the entire Mount Barker community and not just those moving into the new growth area,” former infrastructure minister Patrick Conlon said at the time.
While the rezoning and subsequent population boom have created more job and lifestyle opportunities, locals remain divided on whether the rapid urban sprawl is a positive for the community.
This includes mother-of-five Liadhan Bell, who is considering leaving the place she has called home for 28 years.
“With all the expansion, it means you don’t have to go to the city to buy things anymore … so in that way it has been good,” she said.
“But it has taken away from that small-town feel which it still had when we first moved here.
“I remember there was still a paddock with a peach tree where McDonald’s now is, and that wasn’t all that long ago.
“Also, where we live, that used to be the edge of town and now we have bulldozers across from us and they’ve been there for years, building new homes.
“So, that’s one of the reasons that we’re looking to move away from Mount Barker as it’s just gotten too big for us too fast.”
According to council figures, Mount Barker dwelling applications have spiked by 117 per cent since July last year.
That equates to about 91 housing applications being processed by council staff each month, compared with just 43 a year ago.
The increase is attributed to the federal government’s HomeBuilder stimulus, with many developments in and around Mount Barker reaping the benefits.
Real estate expert and Business Mt Barker chairman James Sexton said demand for new housing had fast-tracked the region’s population growth. Indeed, he predicts Mount Barker could reach its forecasted population of 56,000 by 2026 – 10 years earlier than planned.
“We’re now growing at a faster rate (than anticipated) but we’ve still got 15 years of viable land available,” he said.
“And of the rezoned land in Mount Barker, only 12 per cent has actually been developed so far.
“However, I think we will reach the forecasted population 10 years earlier.
“Because of the reduction of house block sizes to cater for the younger population, we’re actually getting more people to purchase per hectare. So, as a result, we’re getting more than the anticipated amount coming here.”
Mr Sexton said the council was doing an admirable job in juggling community expectations despite limited government support.
While government contributions had gone towards the recently finished Summit Sports Hub and yet-to-be-built aquatic centre, he said more funding was needed for vital infrastructure projects.
Mr Sexton said they included the Heysen Boulevard which, once completed, would connect new housing developments with the South Eastern Freeway without the need to travel through the town.
Funding was also needed for an upgrade of Springs Rd, which had experienced significant damage due to an increase in trucks carrying topsoil out of Mount Barker.
But it’s not all bad news, with Mr Sexton saying an increase in development had led to a significant boost in revenue for local businesses.
“Every man, woman and child shifting into the district brings a retail spend of around $12,000 per person, per year – that’s if the area provides what they want, otherwise they will spend it elsewhere,” he said.
“So, for every 10,000 that come in, that’s $120m. So, we’ve got 30,000 coming – that’s $360m in retail spend for the area.”
Mr Sexton said the retail, hospitality, education, health and light industrial sectors would experience the biggest growth in employment, creating thousands of jobs over the next five years.
A new supermarket and retail outlet at Bluestone Estate is estimated to create 400 new jobs. The city will also have a new town square and library, as well as a new 118-bed aged-care facility on Victoria Rd.
At least 1000 new positions are also expected to be created through the expansion of the Totness Industrial Estate.
“The more jobs we get up in the Hills, the less people drive down into the city,” Mr Sexton said.
“So, we really want to create more jobs up here, including in areas like Callington and Monarto South.
“There’s a lot of flat land out there so it’s easy to do. It’s also affordable as the average land sells for $50 per square metre, against $300 per square metre up here.”
Mt Barker deputy mayor Ian Grosser said the urban sprawl was a reality for the once agricultural-rich town.
“Mount Barker, with its wonderful natural assets and growth in this age of greater environmental awareness, also has the potential to be a modern, clean green town if developers, council and government step up, and the community demands greater sustainability,” he said.
“One problem is that state governments have increasingly taken local planning over and councils can’t mandate more sustainable housing.
“I had hoped Mount Barker would have at least one display village of exemplary sustainable housing by now.
“In my opinion, in the face of increasing development pressures, the council should make greater use of its powers to protect the qualities and amenities which make the district a great place to live.”
Local businessman Tom Gilbert of Adelaide Hills Toyota said Mount Barker had come a long way since his childhood.
“I’m feeling a little torn about the expansion,” Mr Gilbert said. “On one hand, it’s wonderful to have those memories of how it used to be but on the other hand it’s still a great lifestyle up here.
“It’s still a vibrant town with a great community feel and a lot of the local business people still know each other.
“Of course there are challenges with infrastructure but I think that will follow, so we just need to be patient.”
lydia.kellner@news.com.au
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