Benjamin Brougham

2022 candidate for City of Port Lincoln.
Heritage survey responses.

Do you think that Councils and community members need to have a greater voice in planning and development decisions affecting their local area?
No councils should be removed from planning and development decisions, based on personal experiences and the overall viability of a council having control of development and planning, it would be a very detrimental decision to allow councils more power in planning and decision making, as can be evidenced by power Lincoln councils current unviable options and attitudes to planning and development, all it takes is one rotten apple and the entire town suffers for generations. Yes the community should be given far more say as it is their money and their right to have their voices heard and adhered to but their voice needs to be to the national planning and development minister and it needs to be responded to appropriately with supporting documentation of any decisions made. Great examples exist all over but a good one is a CBD on flood grounds, single story housing in lowlands and valleys and restrictions on height on lowland grounds, all three examples Port Lincoln council have continued to allow showing lack of planning for flood lands, lack of acceptable housing and restrictions to prevent acceptable housing being built by protecting views of people who pay off council officials. So one rotten egg at local level just makes for even more at higher levels and then you have to answer to the people like me who will gladly stand and fight tot he death for what they or their community wants or needs regardless of what might happen along the way.
What role should Councils play in protecting local heritage places from demolition or inappropriate development?
None no council or council members should be involved in the protection of heritage listed properties or sites, as is evidenced when any one person or body corporate is given power over heritage sites those sites seem to have a mysterious way of no longer existing until the national heritage trust gets involved, so no council shouldn't, councils should be tasked with identifying all possible heritage sites and reporting them to the national heritage trust sot hey can be federal protected as is appropriate and removes any further issue of local or state government interference or destruction and makes it a federal matter as all heritage listings should be as they pre date Federation to be considered a true heritage listing and would only including buildings of historical significance from the turn of the early 1900s, this also applies to any natural heritage sites as they form part of federal lands they should be regulated at the federal level removing all other parties and thereby offering far more long term protection and maintenance.
How would you seek to improve protections for heritage places in your area?
I wouldn't, I feel any heritage site is for federal government management and should not come under the local council. To summarise I would stand against any matter of heritage sites as a councillor on the grounds that heritage sites are a federal matter and are not for me or the local council to decide.
We rarely see new places added to local heritage listings. Why do you think this is?
Most if not all true heritage sites have already been put on the list and those that havent have good reasons for not being on the list, some have checkered pasts, others have been renovated beyond heritage, and others have no good reason being on the list due to disrepair or other factors. There is no benefit in adding to heritage sites unless the site is of great historical significance to the area, an example of one such would be the boat the Tacoma, yes not a heritage site or object but it has historically significance to Port Lincoln and therefore should be preserved, unlike the lesiure centre that cost millions for a public pool that now costs the public to use at an inflated cost. So for benefits the only benefit you can claim would be increased tourism and possibly education beyond that there are no benefits to preserving old buildings.
How has the Planning and Design Code impacted on the heritage, amenity, and environment of your area? What changes would you seek to the Code?
I would seek to remove all height restrictions for properties built in lowlands or on hilly areas, yes a view is important but so is preservation of natural plants and the environment and my town is a great example of ever expanding at the single story and always single houses, the foot print of a town with 15,000 is usually far smaller than what Port Lincoln is for one simple reason, most towns build apartments and units in blocks and have 20+ houses on the space of one house, not only opening up more space but offering far more accommodation and prevents natural environments from being destroyed to build more single houses, I would also seek to see that all properties where fully fenced front and rear to prevent issues of harm to the environment from pets and other human resources.
What are the impacts of infill development in your area? What changes would you seek in the rules around infill development?
I'm not sure and will have to look into it more before I can answer
Construction of new housing typically uses 30% labour and 70% materials. Renovation of existing housing stock typically uses 70% labour and 30% materials. What policy changes would you like to see made to encourage people to renovate, rather than demolish and build anew?
Appropriate penalties for demolition of an existing structure that is liveable, appropriate being a fine totalling double the costs to demolish and rebuild the structure and assistance with costs to renovate and improve the structure for the purpose of public housing or personal housing, any assistance would need to be restricted to the property being occupied directly by the owner or being offered not as an investment property but as a public or community housing project to assist with alleviating the stress on the already over stretched public housing system.
How should the community be informed and involved in decisions about new developments?
By direct contact with every household in the council area affected, and given the right to vote on new developments that may impact the area.
Do you think there is adequate tree canopy across your local government area?
No
How would you like to see significant and regulated trees in your area protected from removal?
I don't want them protected, trees have a place in the bush not in a town, if the tree is a threat to person or property it should be removed regardless
What involvement should Councils have in decisions about protecting or removing significant and regulated trees?
None beyond protecting the health safety and property of the citizens they serve
What actions would you advocate to slow or mitigate the impacts of climate change in your local government area?
None
What issues are there with traffic and parking in your area?
Streets to narrow, to many roundabouts and not enough traffic lights to regulate traffic appropriately, no truck bypass or truck only options to facilite easier access to the silos and remove big rigs from suburban roads, excessive traffic during peak hours due to lack of planning and development of alternative routes in and out of the town with only one access point at each side of the town, meaning congestion and issues during peak hour traffic, lack of pedestrian islands, total lack of or understanding of road rules when creating new exclusion areas and no bypass points to facilitate ease of movement through the town
How could transport options be improved in your area?
Actually have a public bus service not just dial a ride, upgrade all roads and widen all roads, put in footpaths on all streets, put in bicycle lanes on all roads to facilitate ease of use and safe use of roads by all vehicles not just cars again I would say this is a point of corruption in our current council.
What would your top three priorities be for improving planning policy and outcomes in your local government area?
Road and road infrastructure upgrades
Dog and cat management
Removal of systemic corruption and return to appropriate laws and actions