As 2022 commences, the Town of Gawler will continue with its delivery of a range of significant projects.

Gawler Mayor Karen Redman says this year is shaping up to be another busy and productive 12 months for the council, with key works scheduled for either commencement or completion.

“From the progression of our Boundary Reform proposal to the impending release of our Draft Climate Emergency Action Plan for community consultation, council has a number of significant projects and policies that will continue to take big steps forward over the next 12 months," Mayor Redman said.

“I’m particularly excited to see how our community engages with our Participatory Budgeting initiative, which places up to $40,000 straight into the hands of our constituents who will vote on how that funding is spent within Gawler next financial year.

“We look forward to continue delivering for Gawler in 2022.”

“Council has committed to delivering some major infrastructure works throughout 2022,”

Town of Gawler CEO Henry Inat added that a number of works council has committed to delivering in 2022 will see new, major infrastructure built within the town and directly benefit residents.

“With the assistance of State and Federal Government grants, we have a significant works program scheduled over the next 12 months that will see projects such as the Gawler Visitor Information Lift Installation come to fruition, and important progress made on other developments including the Karbeethan Reserve upgrades and Greater Adelaide Cycle Way connection," Mr Inat said.

“It is an exciting time for Gawler and the community.”

Key Town of Gawler projects to be undertaken in 2022

Gawler Visitor Information Centre Lift Installation

Council is upgrading the Gawler Visitor Information Centre to create a new home for the Gawler Community Gallery. This $745,361 project, of which $654,000 will be spent solely on construction costs, is supported by a Federal Government grant of around $593,000. The upgrade includes the installation of a commercial passenger lift and building refurbishments that create an art display space on the ground floor and an exhibition gallery with office, meeting and workshop space on the first floor. The upgrade should be completed in early 2022 with an exhibition to launch the new facility being planned for March. This project will provide a great opportunity to build the tourism industry and support the local art economy.

Princes Park Community Recreation Hub

This project will transform an inactivated area into a vibrant green open space that encourages recreation, enhances connectivity to other open space areas and creates opportunities for the community to come together. Supported by a State Government grant ($356,500), the $713,000 project is a key deliverable of the Essex Park and Gawler Showgrounds Regional Sporting Precinct Master Plan and will create a unique and high-quality community recreation and play space that will increase the range of unstructured recreation opportunities at Princes Park.

Karbeethan Reserve Stage 1

The delivery of the $1.951 million Stage 1 of the Karbeethan Reserve Master Plan is being supported by a State Government grant ($900,000). This project upgrades key community sporting infrastructure that supports organised sport and provides open space areas for the local community to undertake passive recreation activities, supporting the well-being of the local community. Delivering a Division 1 standard baseball diamond, a softball diamond, playing surface upgrades to existing soccer and shared turf areas, new irrigation, LED sports lighting and player shelters, this project seeks to maintain and improve the high liveability of Gawler and the Northern Region.

Gawler Cycle Way Project

Linking the Stuart O’Grady Bikeway to The Barossa Trail ($1,815,672), this initiative is subsidised by a State Government grant ($678,269) and The Barossa Council ($504,396). This project delivers a carefully planned cycle route that considers social connection, amenity, safety and access. Connecting these cycle paths will result in a continuous cycle route from Adelaide to the Barossa Valley, which will have benefits for cyclists, tourists, businesses and the whole regional community. The project formally connects the two regional cycle paths and the existing shared path network capitalising on both the Town of Gawler and Barossa Council’s significant investment in cycling infrastructure.

Hillier Fireground Rehabilitation

Council is partnering with the State Government to improve flood management along the Gawler River. A bushfire impacted stretch of the Gawler River in Hillier has left remnants of burnt-out riparian vegetation that has the potential to move in high river flow and lodge in downstream infrastructure. The bushfire-affected section also has significant weeds, instability and erosion that all impact the health of the Gawler River. Improving the general condition of the river will benefit the flow of water and achieve environmental outcomes including native biodiversity. This $530,000 project is supported by a State Government grant ($440,000).

Greenlight Project

^{LED lighting will be installed around Gawler as part of the project.}

Council is leading the way in the region to implement community-wide climate change and energy efficiency measures. The $1.295 million Greenlight Project is a practical measure to address climate change that creates jobs and growth, protects the environment and supports community wellbeing. The project will see over 5,000 streetlights changed to low emission, energy efficient alternatives that will reduce energy costs to the community and make a meaningful contribution to achieving carbon neutrality and climate change resilience. Potential energy savings of $210,000 per year has been calculated with 288 tonnes of carbon dioxide reduction each year.

Kaurna Cultural Heritage Project

This project will deliver a cultural assessment of areas of significance along the North Para, South Para and Gawler Rivers with a view to documenting the cultural heritage of the region. This will include conducting archaeological and some anthropological surveys to account for both aspects of cultural heritage sites and identifying opportunities to add value, both economic and social, to the community. The Aboriginal cultural heritage survey work will assist Council to identify and manage Aboriginal cultural heritage sites and/or areas of potential heritage sensitivity in view of its legal obligations under the SA Aboriginal Heritage Act 1988. The work should also provide good basis for future management of Aboriginal cultural heritage sites and values, as well as educative and interpretive potential for other projects as the Kaurna community see fit. The $50,000 project is supported by a $20,000 Federal Government grant.

Gawler Ageing Well Framework

^{Local residents are encourage to have their say on the framework.}

This project aims to help identify the key issues affecting older people living in and around Gawler and formulate strategies to address any unmet or identified needs. This will be achieved in several ways, but largely focuses on documenting current initiatives and programs that are already available in the community and identifying any additional supports that may be required for their sustainability. It also includes acknowledging what our older residents already contribute to our community and generating new opportunities for active participation. Delivering the $50,000 Framework is supported by a State Government grant ($35,000). Read more here.

Access Improvements to Public Transport – Tambelin

This project will provide improved access to the public transport hub of Tambelin Railway Station. Largely funded by a State Government grant ($150,000), the works involve improving pedestrian access to and from the railway station, ensuring that the improvements also cater for mobility impaired members of the community.

Participatory Budgeting

Council is embarking on a new engagement strategy with its community by providing an opportunity to vote on how it should allocate up to $40,000 of funding within its 2022/23 Annual Budget. The Participatory Budgeting program is a two-phase approach to community participation. The first seeks open feedback from the community regarding their ideas as to what the draft funding allocation can deliver. The second phase asks the community to vote on a shortlist of Council endorsed projects, with the project or projects that receive the highest amount of support being delivered within the 2022/23 financial year.

Beautification Plan

^{An artist's impression of the southern Main North Road entrance.}

Council is seeking to improve the aesthetics of the township through new entrance landscapes and greener streetscapes, which was informed by community consultation in early 2021 and then supported by elected members in August 2021. The first stage of the project will be delivering new landscape upgrades to the roundabouts at the intersections of Redbanks Road/Main North Road and Sixth Street/Main North Road in 2022. Council staff are also undertaking design and scoping work for the Main North Road southern entrance, which would be delivered the following year. Council staff continue to collaborate with the Department for Infrastructure and Transport (DIT) to increase the amenity of various areas on arterial roadways within Gawler. Read more here.

Climate Emergency Action Plan

Town of Gawler was the first Council to declare a Climate Emergency and has worked with representatives from the community to develop a Draft Climate Emergency Action Plan. The Draft Plan is comprehensive and aspirational in its approach, being guided by science which identifies that urgent action is required. To avoid dangerous climate change there is a need to dramatically reduce emissions locally and globally, to keep average global temperatures from exceeding 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial conditions. Community consultation on the Draft Action Plan will be undertaken in early 2022 with a view to adopting a final version prior to the end of June.

Growth in the TOG & New Communities

Gawler continues to be one of the fastest growing Local Government Areas in South Australia and has been earmarked by the South Australian Government for significant population growth over the coming decade. Gawler's proximity to some of SA’s highest grossing regions – Mid North and Barossa – along with its connectivity to Adelaide has positioned Gawler as one of the state’s most strategic and important regional towns. Gawler East, Gawler South, Evanston Gardens and Evanston South remain predominant growth areas supporting greenfield development and our new residents. The Town of Gawler is estimated to have a 10-15 year supply of residential zoned (shovel ready) land, ready to accommodate anticipated population growth.

Boundary Reform

In late 2021, the South Australian Local Government Boundaries Commission determined that an inquiry into Council’s Stage 2 Boundary Change Proposal may proceed in accordance with Section 31 of the Local Government Act and Guideline 4 – Investigations of General Proposals Initiated by Councils. The determination by the Commission achieves a significant milestone within the Boundary Reform process and demonstrates that Council’s Proposal meets the requirements of the Act. The next step is for the Commission to obtain a cost estimate for the inquiry that will then be presented to Council for consideration. A further report will be presented to Council at its January 2022 meeting to further consider this initiative. Read more here.

Australia Day Ceremony and Breakfast

^{Last year's Gawler Australia Day Awards recipients.}

In 2022 the Awards Ceremony will be conducted within the Gawler Sport and Community Centre and attendance to this part of the event is by invitation only. However, the event will be live streamed with anyone able to view it from home, or people can attend a community showing of the event on a truck-mounted outdoor screen that will be set up on Princes Park (adjacent to the Gawler Sport and Community Centre). The free Australia Day breakfast will be cooked by service clubs (coordinated by Apex) outside the Centre and served to guests inside and any general public choosing to attend the Princes Park event. The Covid-Safe Australia Day Awards Ceremony and Breakfast ($29,010) will be delivered in partnership with the Apex Club of Gawler and majority funded by the National Australia Day Council ($20,000).

Gawler West Playground and Half-Court

As part of the 2021/22 budget bids, Gawler West Reserve (located at the corner of Britton and Brigalo Streets) is set to receive upgraded playspace, as well as a new basketball half-court. The half court was supported by the State Government’s Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program. Council staff undertook stakeholder consultation in October 2021 to seek feedback on the design of the playspace, and the location of the basketball court. The basketball half court is currently under construction and is set to open in January 2022, while the new upgraded play space is expected to be constructed by June 2022.

Jane Street Willaston

Jane Street has passed its life expectancy and as such, Council will begin upgrade works in early 2022. These works will upgrade the road pavement and be undertaken in a manner which minimises interruption to local residents as much as possible. Some kerb and gutter repairs will also be undertaken, complementing the major stormwater upgrades that were completed in early 2018.