2 days ago
Port Lincoln residents stand against council green space development push
Port Lincoln residents have clashed with their council over a proposal to develop green spaces in the city.
The council has proposed to revoke the community land classification of five council-owned sites.
It said they could be used for aged care, child care or housing if the community saw value in repurposing them.
But the proposal has sparked action from residents who say green spaces should be left alone.
About 200 Port Lincoln residents gathered on Sunday to voice their concerns over the council's proposal to develop Harbour View Reserve.
It has been a popular spot for kids' play, dog walking, and recreation.
The reserve could potentially become the site for an aged care facility, which the council said was needed among an ageing demographic.
Save Harbour Reserve member Tijana Stockhem said she wanted to protect the community status of the land so it could not be developed.
"Once the community status of the land is revoked, there's no protection," Ms Stockhem said.
"I guess we have no idea what will be built on this parcel of land, and there's no guarantee as well that any of this parcel of land will remain for the community … which is concerning."
Ms Stockhem, a mother of two boys, said she had spoken with more than 100 residents around the area.
She said the reserve was valued for recreation.
"We'll keep working together as a group to spread awareness and try and protect this space … once this parcel of land is gone, it's gone," she said.
"I'm not just thinking of our current mental health ... I'm thinking of the future as well.
City of Port Lincoln Mayor Diana Mislov said while she looked forward to receiving feedback, there was a growing need for aged care in the city.
"We are an ageing demographic, that's proven by the RDA [Regional Development Australia] studies … we're getting older and staying alive longer and we do need more aged care facilities," she said.
"I think there's some more discussion that could be had at the table, just to see where aged care is best suited for in Port Lincoln and what capacity both of those enterprises will have."
Senior lecturer in urban and regional planning at Flinders University, Gerti Szili, said the need for more land would grow as more people relocated to regional areas for reasons such as affordability.
"Much like metropolitan areas, green space is critical for regional areas as well," Dr Szili said.
"I guess the question of how we balance green space with the obvious infrastructure needs and growth … it's not really a simple either-or answer.
"It's really about how we manage land use in a way that meets the critical or broader needs of the community without compromising those long-term community wellbeing and liveability aspects."
City of Port Lincoln chief executive Eric Brown said it was important to note the demand for aged care, child care and housing had come from the community through council research and community consultation.
"Conducted over the past three years, both our Economic Development Strategy and Housing Strategy have identified a critical shortage of child care, aged care, social, affordable, and key worker housing," Mr Brown said.
"This concern was strongly echoed in our community Housing Strategy survey, which received over 200 responses — the largest response our housing consultant has ever recorded — highlighting widespread community concern about the lack of housing in Port Lincoln."
Mr Brown said Port Lincoln had a relatively high amount of surplus land when compared to other councils and the state average.
However, he said very few land parcels were available that met size and infrastructure requirements.
"While we acknowledge the valid concerns of residents living near proposed development sites, the broader community — including homelessness support services, aged care providers, and local businesses — are urging council to act," he said.
