February 2024 News Update
Aldinga to Willunga Shared Use Path
FOWB has been interested in the development of a cycling and walking path connecting Willunga and Aldinga for many years. In April 2023 we were advised that a route had been finalised for a shared use cycling and walking path between Willunga and Aldinga.
The shared use path will be off-road along Aldinga Road and the majority of Flour Mill Road. An on-road walking/cycling connection will be incorporated for a small segment along Flour Mill Road and Free Lane. The alignment of the path along with montages of sections of the path can be viewed on the plans.
It is exciting to see that work has already started on the building of the path along Aldinga Road. We believe that the building of this shared path is the first step to opening up multiple east - west connections across Willunga Basin for cyclists and walkers and look forward to further developments on this front.
Biodiversity Act in SA
State government is proposing to introduce a Biodiversity Act and is inviting the community to help shape its development by having Your Say https://yoursay.sa.gov.au/biodiversity-act
Friends of Willunga Basin has responded positively to the idea.
Members can read the discussion paper, take the survey and/or email any comments to biodiversityact@sa.gov.au (or snail mail to: Biodiversity Coordination Unit, GPO BOX 1047, Adelaide 5001). Submissions now close on Friday, 1 March 2024.
Stage 2 Main South Road Duplication
Community information sessions about the Main South Road Duplication Stage 2 have been run in Aldinga in the last few days and there is now only 2 sessions to be run at the Sellicks Beach Community Hall, William Eatts Reserve, Riviera Rd, Sellicks Beach:
Thursday 29 February drop in any time between 5pm and 7 pm
Saturday 2 March drop in any time between 11.30 am and 1.30pm
We wait with bated breath to see what’s in store.
Port Willunga North Coast Park Update
Port Willunga North Coast Park is part of the State government’s vision for a coast park from North Haven to Sellicks Beach. The Port Willunga North project provides a 2.8km segment of Coast Park stretching from Maslin Beach South (unclad beach) car park to the Port Willunga foreshore car park.
Friends of Willunga Basin have been in the community consultation process since January 2021, including a series of six stakeholder meetings from July to September 2023. During these meetings, stakeholder group representatives (Friends of Willunga Basin, Willunga Basin Trail and Friends of Pt Willunga), plus South Coast Ward Members and council staff reviewed and discussed a range of project and design issues and arrived at generally agreed positions on issues and opportunities relating to the project.
On Tuesday 20 February 2024, Council approved the revised Concept Design, and the project will now proceed to detail design. Construction was also approved, subject to securing modest additional State Government funding and agreement for land access at Chinaman Gully.
Council also agreed to contribute some funding for the removal of two stobie poles from the old caravan park and on the northern side of the creek, and the undergrounding of power through the dune environment, a campaign initiated and supported by the Port Willunga community.
Although we are pleased that construction might start soon, we still see two unresolved issues.
Firstly, there has been no review of parking in the immediate locality or of how/where increased traffic and increased parking demand (as is surely coming) will be accommodated. Tied in with this is the issue of beach access for people hauling stuff (windsurfers, kayaks, big families), which will be diminished by the loss of parking on Vincent Tce.
Secondly, the landscape plan does not deal with the revegetation and regeneration of the top half of the sandhill down which the new path traverses – because the project scope is literally very narrow. In particular, feral olives are not dealt with. A near term plan and a modest budget allocation are required to complete this (currently excluded) element of the project.
Greater Adelaide Regional Plan Consultation
In December 2023 the State Planning Commission issued a summary of the findings of the GARP consultation (14 Aug – 6 Nov 2023) and identified the next steps. Friends of Willunga Basin made a submission to this consultation FOWB Submission to GARP Nov 2023
Development Applications
FOWB has made representations against Development Applications for
a second airfield on Colville Road, which we see as unnecessary and unsafe;
a vineyard in the Hills Face Zone adjacent Sellicks, where vineyards have never before been permitted; and
a wave pool on Bowering Hill Road which, we say, fails the ‘Character Values test’ set out in the Character Preservation Act.