Boundary Commission recommends stripping Barossa Council of 10,000-home Concordia development
A single boundary change could deliver an astronomical $45m windfall to Gawler Council, leaving neighbouring Barossa Council “chopped off at the legs”.
Gawler Council is projected to reap in more than $45m in extra rates revenue per year, under recommended boundary changes that would include the new suburb of Concordia.
The SA Local Government Boundaries Commission has recommended five areas from neighbouring councils be added to Gawler Council based on proximity and use of its services.
Gawler Council requested a boundary review in 2019 saying affected residents within Light Regional, Barossa and Playford councils, already considered themselves part of its community.
The Commission released its findings on Friday and recommended five areas be moved, including Concordia from the Barossa Council – against advice of an independent investigator.
The changes would result in an extra $3.3m of rates revenue for Gawler Council based on existing properties, but which would grow to $45m once Concordia was fully developed.
The state government has rezoned a 995ha site to allow for 10,000-homes in the Concordia growth area, to support up to 25,000 residents, over the next 25 years.
Barossa Council had estimated the development, once realised, would generate $45m per annum in rates and other property-related revenue, and cost it about $40m to service.
The Commission recommended Concordia be moved to Gawler Council as it was a logical extension to the Gawler township and which would become a service hub for its residents.
Barossa Mayor Bim Lange said the council was “extremely disappointed” with the recommendations and the boundary review process, which had taken more than three years.
“We’ve been working on Concordia for almost 20 years and our long term financial plan has been built around the returns Concordia will provide,” Mr Lange said.
“We’ve invested enormous amounts of resources into the Concordia proposal and to have a document like this come out - it chops us off at the legs.
“We’ll be contacting the minister to get clarification of what it all means.”
Gawler Council chief executive Chris Cowley said, in a statement, the report was not the final decision, but they “acknowledged the significant recommendations”.
“The report will now be presented to the Minister for Local Government, who has the ultimate discretion to accept, vary, or reject the Commission’s recommendations,” Mr Cowley said.
Other areas recommended to become part of Gawler included Hewett, two portions of Kalbeeba and portions of Evanston Park, Reid and Hillier, while portions of Bibaringa and Uleybury would be moved from Gawler to Playford Council.
The report also noted Adelaide’s changing north may warrant wider consideration for the amalgamation of councils to create one large one that covers urban, urban fringe and primary production land, similar to Onkaparinga Council.
The Commission’s presiding member, Rob Donaldson, said the location of Gawler’s boundary had been debated over 30 years as Adelaide continued to experience rapid growth and change.
The report and recommendations have been handed to the Local Government Minister.
