Joost den Hartog

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?
   I feel strongly that planning and developing our urban environment is a public matter, and local government is well positioned to execute and oversee the essential functions associated. In our current state of affairs, development is delegated to the private sector, albeit under the limitations outlined in the Planning Act of 2016. Unfortunately, this model leaves much room for malintent and an unhealthy emphasis on short-term personal gains. Builders should be building, but developing is a separate function that should chase social outcomes rather than commercial ones. Under social outcomes, I include; protection of heritage and character, affordable housing, climate responsibility, fair use of public space and healthy lifestyles.

2. What role should Councils play in protecting local heritage places from demolition or inappropriate development?
   These decisions should be made at a local government level based on local area plans and policies, rather than relying on a uniform set of guidelines cemented in an inflexible legislative context. A fair appeals process should be available to keep local governments accountable.

3. How would you seek to improve protections for heritage places in your area?
   My area of Port Adelaide is a unique heritage area. There is no other place in South Australia that combines heritage, history, progress and development in such an active and live manner as Port Adelaide. There is a visible daily conflict between then, now and tomorrow. This sounds as exciting as it sounds dangerous. Without proper stakeholder management, deep knowledge of the area and a solid plan, this is a recipe for disaster. The recently reviewed planning act has focussed on transparency and clarity, but this comes at the detriment of the unique heritage of Port Adelaide. A one size fits all approach with reduced council responsibility around development approvals is putting additional stress on the preservation and the respectful evolution of the character of our Port. The community, through council representation, needs to regain control over planning and development. The council, within its current powers, should provide seek to collect penalty rates on top of regular rates from owners of heritage-listed properties that are deliberately and unreasonably left to deteriorate. The council should seek to increase its support for owners of heritage-listed properties that execute their custodianship in good faith.

4. We rarely see new places added to local heritage listings. Why do you think this is?
   A heritage listing doesn't include an allowance for the upkeep, nor is there a public acquisition pathway. Without a proper preservation plan and budget, heritage listing a property creates a problem for the property owner (both private and public).

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?
   Revert planning decisions to local government and allow councils to develop their own, relevant and respectful local area design codes.

6. What are the impacts of infill development in your area? What changes would you seek in the rules around infill development?
   As a migrant from western Europe, I am well versed in dense living arrangements. I see a lot of social benefits in well-designed dense living neighbourhoods with great communal amenities. Urban infill is one of the most effective solutions for Adelaide to continue to grow its population without dramatically increasing its carbon footprint. The revised planning code allows for more subdivisions but doesn't stipulate any requirements for a suburb's amenities to cater for the additional residents. The design code seeks to apply similarly to all subdivisions, regardless of location.

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 have no idea what a potential policy could look like and how such policies would fit within the legislative responsibilities of councils.

8. How should the community be informed and involved in decisions about new developments?
   Public consultation is hard to execute to the satisfaction of every community member. Each consultation should start with a genuine invitation to the community to provide feedback and seek clarification. proper time frames and accessible means of engagement are a minimum requirement. An appeals process available to community members that are not financially prohibitive is necessary to assure both sides of an argument that proper processes have occurred. Community consultation is best conducted at the local government level because it requires local knowledge and representation.

9. Do you think there is adequate tree canopy across your local government area?
   No there is not. Our current council has dramatically increased the number of trees planted in our city. It is seeking partnerships with private property owners to assist them with planting trees on private land. A steep increase in plantings is required not just to stem the decline of the canopy due to new developments but to move beyond maintenance mode and increase the canopy.

10. How would you like to see significant and regulated trees in your area protected from removal?
    Trees are an essential part of the ecosystem. Protecting trees can be viewed through a similar lens as protecting heritage items, with the added weight that trees remain in active use, fore-filling their purposes till they die. In some well-considered cases preserving trees might not be desirable from a planning or safety perspective. In those cases, a tree can only be removed if the active duty this tree is performing gets mitigated by actions that result in no net loss for the ecosystem this tree is part of.

11. What involvement should Councils have in decisions about protecting or removing significant and regulated trees?
    Contrary to my views about councils being the appropriate authority on planning and development decisions, I believe tree protection and management should be a state wide affair.

12. What actions would you advocate to slow or mitigate the impacts of climate change in your local government area?
    During my first term on council, I have been a vocal advocate for active transport (cycling and walking) infrastructure, better planning of public open spaces and the planting of trees. I am also advocating for mixed-use development zoning to allow people to work near where they live. This will reduce car movements. Building strong and connected communities is also an important strategy to increase people's resilience to the increasing effects of climate change.

13. What issues are there with traffic and parking in your area?
    There are not enough viable alternatives offered for people to comfortably and conveniently move around without the need for a car. This has resulted in car parking problems in Port Adelaide CBD.

14. How could transport options be improved in your area?
    Port Adelaide CBD requires a transport masterplan that centres around car accessibility at the fringes of the CBD and pleasant and convenient low-motor vehicle traffic areas in the centre of the CBD. The new train station between Lipton and Baker Street is poised to become an essential feeder for pedestrian visitors to the inner port. Execution of the City of PAE's cycling and walking strategy will increase the area for users of active transport methods.

15. What would your top three priorities be for improving planning policy and outcomes in your local government area?
    Advocating for a localised planning code for Port Adelaide CBD and delegating the necessary decision-making authorities to the council.
    Review the council's rating policies to seek opportunities to penalise irresponsible property value speculating practises involving heritage listed properties
    Advocate for public consultation policies that are fair, accessible, genuine and include accessible appeals processes.