00:01A slice of paradise with a side of trouble.
00:05Of all commercial businesses, which there are none, an OTR doesn't fit the character of...
00:11Plans for the former garage lodged in 2021 received 190 community submissions, only 12 in support,
00:19with concerns about the 24-7 operating hours, visual impact and traffic congestion.
00:26The council rejected the plans twice.
00:29We've got four petrol stations within five minutes of here, we've got three or four
00:32supermarkets within five minutes of here.
00:35Stirling, Crafers or Gate Bridgewater, that's where you do the development, not in the middle
00:39of a semi-rural residential road.
00:43But that's been overruled by the Environment Court, which at no point considered the public
00:47submissions.
00:48The Mayor says most want to preserve the zoning requirements.
00:52We do want to see appropriate and sensible development in the Adelaide Hills region and this sort of
00:57development belongs in a more industrial business area.
01:01OTR says it acknowledges the community's views and respects the area's character, arguing it
01:07will be a responsible neighbour and has a strong connection to the hills.
01:10The window of opportunity for a court appeal has now elapsed, although the council says it's
01:15looking at other ways to challenge the decision.
01:18Meanwhile, it's the state's planning laws and the role of government that's now coming
01:22under the spotlight.
01:23Nearly all the people in this area do not want this and it seems that the people do not
01:28have a say.
01:29Planning laws should take into account the social impacts of a proposal, not just the bare bones
01:36of what the planning code allows.
01:38The planning minister declined an interview, but in a statement said the court assesses applications
01:42equally, free of political pressure.
01:45Ok, thank you.
