“ …. effectively means that Council Development Assessment Panels have been stripped of their powers.

“This clandestine decision, to push the regulation variations through yesterday, has left Councils in the dark and communities will be disenfranchised because Councils will no longer be formally involved in the planning processes for their neighbourhoods.”

 LGA Acting President, Mayor Lorraine Rosenberg said the Minister’s decision to push through the changes Development (Inner Metropolitan Area Development) Variation Regulations 2013 was further evidence of the Government’s ‘announce and defend’ attitude to legislation and their constituency.

 “The LGA was in discussion with the Government on inner rim Councils and somehow Adelaide has slipped into the mix,” Mayor Rosenberg said.

 “Pushing this through, on the last Parliamentary sitting day until probably May 2014, means it is likely that it will be months before they can be considered by the Parliamentary Legislative Review Committee, yet these amendments are effective immediately.

 “The Minister is aware of the LGA and Council concerns but has pushed these variations through without proper consultation.

 “This clandestine decision, to push the regulation variations through yesterday, has left Councils in the dark and communities will be disenfranchised because Councils will no longer be formally involved in the planning processes for their neighbourhoods.”

 Mayor Rosenberg said the variation to the Regulations means any proposed development over four storeys, within inner rim Council areas defined as Urban Corridor Zone, will be green-lighted by a committee of the Government’s Development Assessment Commission, which effectively means that Council Development Assessment Panels have been stripped of their powers.

 Councils affected are Adelaide City, Burnside, Norwood, Payneham & St Peters, Prospect, Unley and West Torrens. Adelaide’s planning powers have also been further negated with the removal of their DAP’s assessment of property developments over $10 million in Adelaide and North Adelaide.

 “Adelaide City’s Heads of Agreement with the State, on the evolution of decisions about property development, would appear to have been completely dismissed as the Minister rides roughshod over the Council and the people of Adelaide,” Mayor Rosenberg said.

 “The lack of proper consultation is truly staggering.”