Northern suburbs council airs possibility of limiting development of service stations

With more than 30 service stations already built within its city walls, a northern suburbs council could move to limit how many more are allowed. Here’s how.

The Salisbury council will ask the state government what it can do to limit service stations in its LGA.

The amount of service stations popping up along its roads is limiting commercial and retail diversity and is loathed by members of its community, a northern suburbs council believes.

So much so is the resentment in some areas of the City of Salisbury community towards fuel depots, the council could move to limit the amount that can be developed.

The unprecedented possibility of limiting servos was aired as part of a motion put to the council by deputy mayor Chad Buchanan in which he asked the council to consider writing to Planning Minister Nick Champion to “convey community concerns”.

Those concerns, Mr Buchanan’s motion said, were “in relation to the large volume of retail fuel outlets being developed in the metropolitan area”.

“(Council should write to the Minister to) seek the Minister’s review of this development trend and if there should be some form of limitation on the number of such facilities within a prescribed proximity of existing outlets,” it read.

Salisbury deputy mayor Chad Buchanan at a site on Kings Road, Salisbury Downs in 2021 expressing concerns about a proposed service station. Picture: File

Planning Minister Nick Champion. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Brenton Edwards

The community’s concern, Mr Buchanan said, was piqued when a beloved facility Hollywood Carwash at Salisbury Downs was told they would need to move on to facilitate the development of an X Convenience service station.

“Unfortunately our landlords have decided they would prefer an X Convenience service station instead of seeing out the last eight years of our lease,” a farewell post by the business said.

Several users of the car wash expressed their disappointment at the closure, particularly given it was driven by the proposed development of a fuel outlet.

Within the council area there are about 34 different service stations, including outlets operated by SA-owned Peregrine Corporation and Andrash, which operate OTR and X Convenience outlets respectively.

Adjoining council the City of Playford has about 27, the City of Tea Tree Gully has about 23 and the expansive Port Adelaide/Enfield council contains about 47.

A map showing many of the service stations in the Salisbury Council area. Picture: PetrolSpy

An OTR service station in the Salisbury Council area. Picture: Mark Brake

Both companies were contacted for comment, but did not respond.

Speaking to The Advertiser about the proposition, Mr Buchanan said he felt the volume of service stations was limiting the opportunity for diverse commercial and retail opportunities within the local government area.

He said what he felt was problem had been exacerbated with changes to the state’s planning processes.

“Residents and colleagues are concerned with the service station applications being considered in ‘general neighbourhood zone’ that replaced the previous ‘residential zone’,” he said.

“This new zone, under the new Planning and Design Code, is more flexible and facilitates more non-residential uses in residential areas, which is of concern.”

“Under the previous rules, a planning authority could refuse a (non-compliant) development application and the applicant could not appeal this decision.

“The (new) code does not provide this certainty for communities.”

Mr Champion said his office would not have control over a so-called fuel outlet cap, and deferred the responsibility back to the council.

“Let’s be clear – it’s the role of council-appointed independent assessment panels to make decisions in these types of applications,” he said.

“Councils may initiate proposals to change the zoning of certain commercial areas of lands – and I encourage them to listen to their communities in forming a response to this issue.”