Ignatius Lineage

2022 candidate for City of Port Adelaide Enfield.
Heritage survey responses.

1. Do you think that Councils and community members need to have a greater voice in planning and development decisions affecting their local area?
   Community members need to have a greater voice in planning and development decisions affecting their local area. These voices need to be reflected accurately in councils and to achieve this, councils need to further improve communication, consultation and engagement. A variety of methodologies need to be used to continuously improve these processes so as to reach, connect and engage with as many people as possible. Social media and Internet mechanisms are not sufficient in and of themselves, and should only be one of many approaches. The written hard-copy letter is still important, especially given the demise of the local community newspaper.

2. What role should Councils play in protecting local heritage places from demolition or inappropriate development?
   Depending on the type of development, councils should different roles with state, and sometimes federal, governments in protecting local heritage places from demolition. For some developments, councils should play an equal role. For others, councils should have the power of veto. In this way councils need to be persuaded by other government agencies as to the merit of proposed developments.

3. How would you seek to improve protections for heritage places in your area?
   As a result of my time spent on-the-ground, directly engaged with community members on a one-to-one basis, I have increasingly formed the view that the vast majority of rank-and-file people want protection of heritage places. This want is not reflected in councils when low levels of per-capita engagement occurs. As stated above, in my view, engagement is increased when a wide range of methodologies are used to connect with community. Generally, more funds need to be spent in this area, but also smarter ways of reaching people need to be used. I would seek to further improve consultation with the community. Consultation requires communication and engagement. Communication is a two-way-street and engagement needs to be measured, logged and analysed on an ongoing basis.

4. We rarely see new places added to local heritage listings. Why do you think this is?
   Changing social factors, including changing values, have led to the demise of new places being added to local heritage listings. In today's society, economics dominates thinking, whilst at the same time we see less and less value placed on traditional pursuits and studies of arts / humanities, including history and mathematics / science. One only need see the reduced funding in the arts and the woeful rate and methods of funding for academic research to appreciate this. These changing values have been reflected in school curricula over the last number of decades. This is a very complex issue. Adding to local heritage listings has the benefit, ultimately, of helping societies to remain connected with, and re-engage with, their past. Humans knowing the idea of 'where-do-I-come-from' is fundamental to a society's health. The devastation of Aboriginal heritage and the subsequent and on-going social health outcomes is a powerful example of what happens when this is ignored.

5. 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?
   The new PlanSA Planning and Design Code has only been adopted recently, in September 2022. As such, we are yet to see how it will impact on heritage, amenity and environment of our area. The previous version of this code has resulted in a greater number of visitors and traffic to our area, especially along the coast. Many local residents do not want to lose the country-town feel of our area. They want to keep the coastal parks and do not want more concrete.

6. What are the impacts of infill development in your area? What changes would you seek in the rules around infill development?
   Infill development adds more concrete to our environment and diminishes places of heritage. Infill developments should not be allowed to destroy heritage, and so heritage considerations need to take priority.

7. 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?
   Heritage should be preserved in terms of facias and existing significant buildings. Modern extensions should be allowed, and added to heritage rather than demolition.

8. How should the community be informed and involved in decisions about new developments?
   Consultation as above.

9. Do you think there is adequate tree canopy across your local government area?
   Definitely not. When we purchased our house in our street, one of the attractions was the greater number of street trees compared to other streets.

10. How would you like to see significant and regulated trees in your area protected from removal?
    Existing council land trees, significant and regulated, should remain. Many more should be planted.

11. What involvement should Councils have in decisions about protecting or removing significant and regulated trees?
    As above, in some situations, equal decision making powers to other tiers of government. In other situations, veto powers.

12. What actions would you advocate to slow or mitigate the impacts of climate change in your local government area?
    More parks, lawns, trees and scrubs. Less concrete, paving. Protection of our coastal dunes and no sand mining or pumping.

13. What issues are there with traffic and parking in your area?
    Congestion.

14. How could transport options be improved in your area?
    There could be a bus / tram service from Port Adelaide to Semaphore. There could be an Adelaide train line spur into the heart of Port Adelaide. Infra-structure could be altered to bring cruise ships up into Port Adelaide to vitalise this area.

15. What would your top three priorities be for improving planning policy and outcomes in your local government area?
    Further improvement of consultation.
    Protection of existing parks, lawns and trees.
    Protection of coastal dunes.