Adelaide Hills | Developments & News

[Splashmo]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but is'nt MB on the rainshadow side of the hills and thus with very low rainfall. And does'nt the flow go to the murray R. My point is that how will development there have much effect on water availability/flow there? Mt Barker would also have access to water outside the area.Comments allowing more development there (and the growth that has taken place in the last 10 years) seem to support my point.

Actually Mt Barker still gets about 200mm more rainfall annually than Adelaide. I don't know much about the catchments or water sources for the town but I really don't how growth there would have any more of an impact on the Murray than growth in Adelaide or other parts of the state relying upon Murray water.

[rhino]

Not sure what you guys are talking about here. The comments about water quality etc were referring to the water catchment, which came about because of Shuz's comment that Nairne and Woodside will join up. Mount Barker is outside the catchment, is growing at a fast rate, and is not affecting the water quality within our reservoirs.

With regard to where does Mount Barker get it's water from - Summit Storage near Mount Barker Junction. This is a small storage with a water filtration plant. It is filled via a pipeline from the Murray, and supplies a reticulated system servicing the hills towns.

[skyliner]

I could be venturing into the realm of ignorance but I'll venture a response guys.

First Rhino, I appreciate your last point - I was probably alluding more to quantative availability of the water and lost track concerning the actual layouts of the catchment areas in the hills and what towns were where in them. My knowledge of SA geography put Mt Barker in the rainshadow area and so lower rainfall than Adelaide (520mm a yr or 21inches). Lastly, quantity of water often affects quality, but in this region, not sure.

Splashmo, you say that MB gets 200mm more a year than Adelaide. I don't know the figure, but going by the region around it and comparing that to Murray Bridge or Western NSW, QLD and Vic would have thought it was well under Adelaide levels - hence my ideas in the above post.

SA - STATE ON THE MOVE

[Aidan]

I could be venturing into the realm of ignorance but I'll venture a response guys.

First Rhino, I appreciate your last point - I was probably alluding more to quantative availability of the water and lost track concerning the actual layouts of the catchment areas in the hills and what towns were where in them. My knowledge of SA geography put Mt Barker in the rainshadow area and so lower rainfall than Adelaide (520mm a yr or 21inches).

Mount Barker's altitude is high enough to give it a high rainfall. And while the western slopes of the Mount Lofty Ranges do indeed get more rainfall than the eastern slopes, it's not as if there's an abrupt difference as soon as you get to the summit ridge. It's not even a single summit ridge!

Lastly, quantity of water often affects quality, but in this region, not sure.

It nearly always affects it to some degree, but I'd expect the difference to be rather small. And almost all the water in the Onkaparinga is used for Adelaide's water supply, even in wet years. Since it's also topped up from the Murray in dry years, I wouldn't expect the drought to make any noticeable difference.

The amount of development does make a difference, especially with surface street runoff. But there are measures such as wetlands that can be (and are being) used to improve water quality, so a blanket ban on development in the catchment doesn't make sense as a permanent policy.

[Strangled Cat]

I can categorically say that Moount Barker receieves more rain than CBD Adelaide. It's been pissing down for the last 2 months LOL. If there was one positivie I could draw out of being stuck up at Port Augutsa...

[skyliner]

Thanks for your responses guys - you enlightened me a great deal - I did say I could be venturing into the realm of ignorance however. VERY glad to hear MB has a good rainfall - the vegetation in the area did not give that impression - but maybe I'm measuring by east coast vegetative response to rain. Overall I forgot about the altitude factor - very poor thinking on my behalf!.

SA - STATE ON THE MOVE

[crawf]

Moving back to the topic, construction is progressing well on the new Bunnings store on Adelaide Road in Littlehampton and Bunnings plan to open a store in nearby Murray Bridge very soon.

[Wayno]

Roadblock

from http://www.courier.net.au/

NO MONEY FOR FREEWAY EXIT
Both the State and Federal Governments have backed away from funding a new freeway interchange at Mt Barker.

The Federal Government - the Mt Barker Council's key hope for financing the project - says it has no cash for the facility and won't for at least five years.

The news comes after the council has spent a decade lobbying, planning and preparing for the Bald Hills Road exit.

It has now been told to plead with the State Government for it to build the $25m interchange.

[crawf]

$25 million? to build that small off-ramp

[Mants]

$25 million? to build that small off-ramp

well they'll need to build a bridge (no pun intended)

[rhino]

$25 million? to build that small off-ramp

well they'll need to build a bridge (no pun intended)

No they won't. Bald Hills Road already passes underneath the freeway in a tunnel. All they need to build is the ramps. On the north side of the freeway, Little Dublin Road will be compromised, but it's in a road reserve anyway, I'm sure something can be organised.

[Mants]

$25 million? to build that small off-ramp

well they'll need to build a bridge (no pun intended)

No they won't. Bald Hills Road already passes underneath the freeway in a tunnel. All they need to build is the ramps. On the north side of the freeway, Little Dublin Road will be compromised, but it's in a road reserve anyway, I'm sure something can be organised.

that's quite a substantial cost for an offramp then. i'm sure that it's needed, however they really shoukld cease housing estates being built up there.

[Strangled Cat]

Damnit! I was going benefit massively from the Bald Hills rd offramp considering the estate I live in. Adelaide rd just sucks most of the time!

[fabricator]

Damnit! I was going benefit massively from the Bald Hills rd offramp considering the estate I live in. Adelaide rd just sucks most of the time!

Build your own offramp and make it a toll road.

[rhino]

From Adelaide Now:

Battle to save Hills from urban sprawl
JOANNA VAUGHAN
September 17, 2009 12:01am

The State Government is preparing for population growth of about 29,000 people in the Adelaide Hills, but Mt Barker residents say enough is enough.
WHAT was once wide open, prime agricultural land to the southeast of Adelaide is now being dotted with houses at a rate of about one a day.
As a result of an increasing number of people seeking the "tree change" lifestyle, only 20 minutes from the CBD, Mt Barker has become one of the fastest-growing centres in Australia.
In its 30-year plan, the State Government says there will be a net additional population of 29,000 people in the Hills and Murray Bridge area.
But those who live in Mt Barker say they do not want any more development because they fear their town, known as one of the state's food bowls, is being overrun.
Spokesman for the Mt Barker coalition for sustainable communities Brian Haddy says residents want to ban further land expansion because they fear the area cannot cope.
Mt Barker's population has increased by about 17 per cent to 12,500 in the past two years and the number of new houses has grown by about one a day. The total population of the surrounding area is about 30,000.
Mr Haddy said he understood Mt Barker's population would increase by 15,000 in the next 30 years, which would be a "guaranteed recipe for a fractured community".
While residents were not adverse to more people moving into the area, they did not want any more land rezoned for housing.
"The community is pretty cross about what is going on," Mr Haddy said.
"There was a land release several years ago and we understand up to 85 per cent still has not been taken up. There is a huge area around Mt Baker that has already been zoned to housing and when that's all taken up we are probably at capacity.
"We accept the population is going to grow, but why would you choose to expand on to the best agricultural land in the state."
Mt Barker is known as one of the state's most productive agricultural areas, surrounded by wineries, farms, orchards and market gardens.
MR Haddy, who owns an organic store, said the infrastructure in Mt Barker would not be able to cope with such a population increase. "At the moment there is standing room only on the buses," he said.
"You have got one entry and exit point to Mt Barker, which is going to be absolutely clogged.
"And what are we going to do about water?"

Planning Minister Paul Holloway, however, said the proposed expansion of Mt Barker would not encroach on the green curtain. One of the central reasons for the 30-year plan was to allow the State Government to plan well in advance for infrastructure investment, transport needs, schools and public works.
"Rather than threaten high-value, high-production farmland, the rezoning envisaged in the 30-year plan preserves such areas, and instead focuses on less-productive land, much of which is currently used for agistment and hobby farms," Mr Holloway said.
"The proposed expansion of Mt Barker won't encroach on the green curtain entrance to the town from Bald Hills Rd, but will focus on the area south of Springs Rd."
Mt Barker Mayor Anne Ferguson said most of the community was concerned further development could not be sustainable with the current infrastructure. "Our interchange is at capacity and if we don't get a back door to our town, then we won't be able to cope with any more development," she said. "We can't sustain any more growth because we currently can't manage any more traffic."

Demographer Bernard Salt said Mt Barker was popular because it was one of the only places in Australia where you could live among the gum trees in rolling hills and still be only 20 minutes from the CBD.
"In my view there is no reason why it should not be further developed, allowing other people to have the idyllic lifestyle," he said.
"As long as the development is managed well and paired with appropriate infrastructure, it will work.
"It comes down to the attitude of the local community towards growth. "You find this in a number of places around Australia . . . where local communities say it was OK for me to move, but once I'm here, I want you to stop the growth because I find it idyllic and I want to keep it that way."
Greens MLC Mark Parnell said it was vital for Adelaide's future food security, that land around Mt Barker, Nairne and Littlehampton be protected.
"The Mt Barker community is extremely worried their town is being overrun by hungry developers eager to sell new housing estates that will destroy their town's unique and relaxed character," he said.
Opposition planning spokesman David Ridgway said any development must have adequate infrastructure. "The Liberal party has always had some concerns about high-value, high-rainfall farming land going under houses," he said.
"But if you are going to expand, you must do it in consultation with the community. The State Government must provide adequate infrastructure, and the pressure is on for them to do that in Mt Barker."