Hutt St traders’ push to rezone main streets to ban homeless services

Hutt St traders have ramped up efforts to stop the Hutt St Centre from expanding, calling for new planning rules to block homeless services from the precinct.

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Critics of the Hutt St Centre have ramped up attacks on the homeless support service labelling it “poisonous” as they lobby to block its future expansion.

Hutt Street traders and a major property owner have called on the State Government to overhaul the planning system to prevent the expansion of services such as the Hutt St Centre on main street precincts.

The call has been made in strongly-worded submissions to the draft planning and design code, which will replace all council development plans with a single planning rule book.

Lawyer James Levinson, writing on behalf of the owner of the St Andrews Medical Centre, said the Hutt St Centre’s clients often engaged in criminal activity and “on occasion threat to kill” members of the public.

“Express (planning) policies should be included … to prevent the extreme and deleterious impacts of uses such as the Hutt St Centre from expanding in its present location or from decimating other main streets in the metropolitan area,” Mr Levinson, of Botten Levinson, wrote.

“Staggering drunk and drug affected violent people attracted to services and facilities in main streets is starkly antithetical to main street planning policy.

“The two are simply incapable of coexistence in the same location.”

The Hutt Street Traders Association, which echoed the medical centre’s calls, has over the years voiced concerns about anti-social behaviour around the centre and its effect on trade and safety. In its submission to the State Planning Commission it said the draft code in its current form would “potentially support the growth of destructive land uses such as the Hutt St Centre”.

Future Urban managing director Chris Vounasis, on behalf of the association, said the code should prevent or restrict homeless shelters, drug and alcohol rehabilitation services and soup and food vans from on main streets.

“The centre’s existence directly conflicts with the expected growth of this part of the city providing a poisonous ingredient in what could otherwise be a burgeoning economic environment that is safe and comfortable,” he wrote.

Association president Collette Slight told The Advertiser “correct” planning controls could make Hutt St an attractive place to live and work.

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“This could be an opportunity to give people the confidence to come back and start a small business in our street,” she said. “If we get the zoning correct then people know what the future of the area is.”

SA Police works closely with the Hutt St Centre to address issues in the area.

The submissions come as Adelaide City Council prepares to assess the Hutt St Centre’s $2.2 million upgrade of its premises.

Plans include an internal demolition of the centre to make way for improvements like a new laundry, locker room, as well as art and recreation spaces, foyer, canopy and outdoor kitchen.

Plans were expected to be assessed last month but it was delayed because of COVID-19 restrictions. Hutt St Centre declined to comment. St Andrews Medical Centre was contacted for comment.