James Sadler

2022 candidate for Adelaide Hills Council.
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?
   Yes

2. What role should Councils play in protecting local heritage places from demolition or inappropriate development?
   The ultimate arbiter

3. How would you seek to improve protections for heritage places in your area?
   Via legislation

4. We rarely see new places added to local heritage listings. Why do you think this is?
   It’s evidence of a local community declaring what places are important to them

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 design code needs to reflect local views and be supported in law.

6. What are the impacts of infill development in your area? What changes would you seek in the rules around infill development?
   We live in a peri urban or rural environment. It needs to be protected

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?
   I don’t support making it harder or more expensive to build a home as we already have a dearth of affordable housing in our society. We should however make any heritage listing enforceable. For example if some body wanted to raze a heritage listed site, let’s say by way of example the thebarton police barracks, then it should be so punitively expensive for that to happen - so expensive so as to force that body to look elsewhere.

8. How should the community be informed and involved in decisions about new developments?
   Neighbours should always be informed the greater the cost of build the greater the radius of informees

9. Do you think there is adequate tree canopy across your local government area?
   Yes

10. How would you like to see significant and regulated trees in your area protected from removal?
    As currently managed

11. What involvement should Councils have in decisions about protecting or removing significant and regulated trees?
    Strong involvement

12. What actions would you advocate to slow or mitigate the impacts of climate change in your local government area?
    Responsible maintenance and development

13. What issues are there with traffic and parking in your area?
    Event parking by council is not what it could or should be

14. How could transport options be improved in your area?
    We need a joined up solution for taxi (car sharing) services in the hills

15. What would your top three priorities be for improving planning policy and outcomes in your local government area?
    More transparency
    Better communication
    Clarity of roles of various authorities