Mount Barker booming as the Adelaide Hills centre records another record growth year, but infrastructure lagging behind

The Adelaide Hills town is booming and on track to become SA’s second-largest city – so why did council staff threaten to freeze developments?

Booming Mount Barker is on track to be the state’s second-largest city, but a lack of action on the supporting infrastructure needed and an incomplete vital connector road continues to hurt the community amid the record growth, according to the local council.

The Mount Barker District Council released figures this week showing the local government area has had its second-biggest growth year on record, hot on the heels from its biggest financial year growth in 2020-21.

Mount Barker family Krystal, Maeve and Jeffery O’Connell at the end of their street. Their neighbourhood is surrounded by new developments. Picture: Roy VanDerVegt.

Last financial year, 675 dwelling applications were lodged with the council with planning consent granted to 532 of the applications.

Developers had released 571 allotments in the Mount Barker growth area, 37 allotments short of the previous year’s record of 608 allotments.

And the growth is expected to continue with the council reporting that, to date, just over 17 per cent of the 1300 hectares of land in Mount Barker that was rezoned by the state government in 2010 had been developed.

Mount Barker District Council chief executive officer Andrew Stuart said the growth had significant impacts across council’s services and called on both federal and state governments to help deliver the infrastructure needed to support the growing population.

“Over 30 kilometres of infrastructure – footpaths, kerbing, sealed roads, stormwater drains, wastewater pipes – along with 4.5 hectares of public reserve and 634 street trees were gifted to the council last financial year,” Mr Stuart said.

In March, the council threatened to freeze developments with staff calling for action on an inadequate road system, highlighting the incomplete Heysen Boulevard connector road.

Mr Stuart said the completion of the remainder of the connector road needed to be a high priority given its “critical function in supporting the communities safe and convenient movement through the growth area”.

“In 12 years, a total of 53 per cent of the connector road had been constructed with a further 6 per cent under construction leaving 41 per cent still to be built,” he said.

“This situation continues to hurt our communities and poses risks to public safety as well as having a negative effect on our retail and commercial traders, our tourism offerings, and everyday interactions with education and work are all affected by sub-optimal transport solutions.”

One of the many Mount Barker housing developments. Source: Realestate.com.au

Infrastructure and Transport Minister Tom Koutsantonis told The Messenger work was underway to support growth in the region.

“Construction is currently underway on a new single lane roundabout where the extension of Heysen Boulevard will meet with Wellington Road, supporting urban growth in Mount Barker,” he said.

“As Mr Stuart is aware, completion of the broader extension of Heysen Boulevard is contingent on activation of development deeds for various parcels of land along the corridor.

“The government has been in productive discussions with the Mount Barker District Council about accelerating that process.”

Mount Barker residents Krystal and Jeffrey O’Connell said the growth of the town in recent years had created major traffic issues.

Both commute on the South Eastern Freeway to get to work and traffic banking at the exits during peak hour had been of particular concern.

The couple’s neighbourhood is surrounded by new developments and both agreed where the Heysen Boulevard connector sections were completed, it made a difference to traffic flow.

“Where it’s completed from Aston Hills past to the sporting complex fixed things but the worst part is each individual section is being done separately so it’s not connected,” Jeffrey said.

Standing on her front porch, Krystal O’Connell pointed out sprawling housing developments which were bare hills only four years ago and said the traffic solutions had not matched the influx of homes. Picture: Roy VanDerVegt.

The pair – who bought their established home in 2019 – said they first had considered building but were glad they were in an area which had a reliable, if busy, traffic route.

“When you bought (a home) it was a sale pitch, that the ring road was going to make traffic so fast, we brought this nearly four years ago and it’s not connected at all,” Krystal said.

And for Krystal – who has lived in Mount Barker since the large rezoning in 2010 – the growth has taken the area from a small country town to a bustling centre full of friendly people, but the roads weren’t keeping up and created headaches for residents.