Dear Friends and owners of Unley,

I attached an $80.00 tree canopy voucher application that opened on the Monday and closed on Thursday. Hence, this slightly early newsletter. (The newsletter was sent out to 3,000 recipients just before 5.00pm and the all the vouchers had been taken up by 6.19pm. )

If alive, we all get old

Rate Rise +1% CPI

Justin’s rate notice

If alive, we all get old

Rate Rise +1% CPI

Justin’s rate notice

The museum is closing in 2026 to expand!

The Neighbour’s tree

Fire Fighting Bicycle

Strong support 40kph

Weekly green bins 1/5

Young St Cross Unley Bikeway

 I hope you enjoy the winter news.

In July, we are undertaking a public consultation on the only option to ensure our Tree canopy may achieve our target of 31% by 2045. 668 in our shaping our tree strategy on private property, all came up with the same idea. “There should be a minimum canopy for new developments that increases the building footprint.”

Council unanimously approved consulting on our policy that all and only new developments that increase the built form will either have 15% tree canopy or pay 10% higher rates into a fund to buy land to plant trees. As we remove two trees for everyone, we plant we will eventually lose our canopy and never be able to regain it. 

I invite you to comment and concerns. Thank you to Justin, Elizabeth, and Kathy for your feedback.

With my best wishes,

Michael

2025 Autumn News

Dear Friends and Owners of Unley, 

           Parking Changes 

 

            Yesterday at a Birthday Party a Forestville resident asked, “We are about to be done in with Parking changes in March. What’s going on?” I had already done the newsletter, so I have attached the changes. Bottom line, those with on-street residential parking permits pay $22.50 each year will now be able to pay $30.00 a year for a parking overstay permit. Why? Parking is limited, and, some streets are half empty all day. We can’t park there. We need to ensure that our parks are able to be used and not empty. The unanimous new policy was recommended by our community shaping committee, hundreds were involved in consultations over 18 months. Thank you to all who participated. 

           Wrong trees in the wrong spots 

             45 years ago, Unley Council planted street trees, some have proved to be the wrong trees in the wrong spot. One problem for some is tree roots… Increasingly we are now putting in tree wells that draw the roots down over 1.2 meters. But that only works for new plantings. Council had a briefing on some problem cases and we are now working on innovative solutions. With houses on the Bay of Biscay soil and no, or inadequate foundations, cracks occur without trees. The street tree is a natural suspect.

             On Monday's Council meeting, Deputy Mayor Jack Gaffey is moving a motion for staff to explore opportunities for the Council to assist residents to retain and manage existing trees. We already cover up to 50% of the cost for residents with regulated or significant trees to safely maintain these trees. One idea to be explored, including the legals, is expanding our conservation grants to also pay 50% of the cost of putting in root barriers to protect buildings from possible root damage from existing trees. 

        Australia Day 2025

This Autumn news is a bit early…. However, 72% of the 842 responding to our Australia Day wanted the Council to hold an Australia Day event. It’s a new event and it’s on this Sunday, Jan 26th, The details are in the attached 2025 Autumn News. 

Topics once again include your feedback and more… 

•     290 Unley Road 
•     Status of Teaching 
•     JP service Australia Day 2025 
•     NEW Cultural Centre 
•     Can existing owners of batteries join? Joining a book club? 
•     Greater ADELAIDE REGIONALPLAN 

    With my best wishes, 

         Michael                                    

  Mayor Michael Hewitson AM

 

 

Dear Friends and owners of Unley,

 

How often have you heard: “Everyone agrees with me”?  We live in a world where we are living in our own echo chambers. The Summer News discusses controversial matters that divide us as well as our Council.  I hope you enjoy the attached Summer 2024-5 Newsletter.

Rates

I went on ABC radio to discuss our Council’s decision to go to public consultation on our policy to have a financial incentive for new developments that increase the built form to achieve 15% tree canopy cover. The incentive is a 10% rate increase until the 15% is achieved. No owner of an existing property will ever pay higher rates for a lack of trees.

 I was asked; “Is Unley discouraging the development of new housing by applying a 10% rate incentive to achieve a 15% minimum tree canopy?”

Unley has been lowering our rates against CPI over the past five years by 6.72%. I postulated that Unley was a great place to do business because of our rate, even for those new developments without 15% tree canopy paying the 10% higher rate, we would be competitive.

The result: We are.

Unley was found to have a lower minimum residential rate in the dollar than all surrounding council areas.

Simply put, the Tree Offset Scheme does not make it more expensive to purchase a high-rise apartment in Unley, in fact, even with the extra 10% charge incurred, rates are still lower than the average of all surrounding council areas.

Comparison of Unley residential rate and average rate of surrounding council areas

From this, it was concluded that the rates payable on a new property in Unley which does not have 15% tree canopy cover (therefore incurred the extra 10% charge), were still comparatively cheaper than rates would be in surrounding council areas without the extra 10% charge.

These figures present a strong argument that it is not unreasonable to include all high-rise buildings and apartments in Unley’s Tree Offset Scheme proposal. Our Unley Central development will have >15% tree canopy, so rates will be more than 10% lower than the average of surrounding councils.

With my best wishes,

                          Michael

Mayor Michael Hewitson AM

 

Dear Friends and Owners of Unley,

 I am hoping that 2,000 Unley people will tell us what you wish us to do for Australia Day, 2025.  Ctrl/Click here Australia Day 2025... Three yes/ no questions

Please have your say. Your Council voted unanimously asking just three questions.. Your responses are confidential, and I am so pleased that Unley Council you to have your say.

I hope you enjoy the 2024 Spring Newsletter and I thank you for the many emails from you sending pictures and ideas.

Unley Road is a traffic jam. Cars turning right block the RH lane, and buses and others parked block the left-hand lane. Some cyclists are concerned because of a premature news release of a 2001 plan. This plan removed the gutter bicycle lanes from Unley Road.

If we can implement the plan, I believe it would be a win for all, cyclists, pedestrians, and motorists.  Please find attached the plan, and why we all win.

Yes, if you disagree, I would love to know why.

Mayor Michael Hewitson

 

Dear Friends and Owners of Unley,

I hope you enjoy the winter news with just a taste of things happening in Unley…. Including Free event on Unley Oval May 4^th.

There is so much happening in our budget that all I have done is indicated that for the fifth year our rate rise is below expected CPI. Yet we are delivering so much that I encourage you to open the link and explore. (Right Click and then open the link.

2024 2025  Budget for Consultation

The residential rates across Unley have decreased by 5.5% after inflation over the past five years. This year the budgeted rate rise is 3.75%. We believe this may also be below inflation. Our Council costs and salaries are very much tied to inflation so the reduction of debt from around $14M to $4M whilst providing excellent services underlines the great management here in Unley.  My thanks and congratulations to  our to our staff, volunteers and my fellow Councillors. 34% of our residents are renters, and not so because they are rich. With high inflation, rising electricity costs, I am proud that our Council is presenting the budget for consultation.  

2019 -20	2020 - 21	2021 -22	2022 - 23	2023-24	Financial Year
17001	17072	17514	17569	17638	Number of Residences
$32,006,234.00	$32,268,792.00	$33,233,654.00	$34,892,919.00	$37,040,475	Total rate paid
$             1,882.61	$          1,890.16	$      1,897.55	$         1,986.05	$             2,100.00	Average
113.7	114.6	117.8	122.7	132.4	CPI for year	March -March
2.90%	0.40%	0.39%	4.66%	5.74%	Average rate rise
1.80%	2.40%	2.79%	4.70%	7.91%	%CPI	March -March
1.10%	-2.00%	-2.40%	-0.04%	-2.17%	Rate rise after Inflation	-5.50%

 

However, the bottom line is Councils are about people and the future liveability of Unley. We are developing our plan to 2050 and our shaping Unley tree canopy on private property shows that we received 668 individual submissions from you asking for a minimum % tree canopy on ALL development sites that increase the building footprint. Our planet is getting hotter, and people die when the temperature is in the 50’s and you cannot afford air-conditioning.

With my thanks for your involvement and concern,

best wishes,

                          Michael

 

Dear Friends and owners of Unley,

I hope you enjoy the Autumn news attached along with the links for more information.

 Flooding

In one way we were lucky, we had a November rain event that dropped in a few hours of rain at the once-in-220-years rate.

We were already undertaking an analysis of solutions and some properties were flooded. The estimated cost to fix the lot is over $39 Million. We have already spent about $7 million on capital works including the very successful Ridge Park dam. At our February meeting, we will receive a Council report with our flooding recommendations and plans. This will miss my Autumn newsletter so if you want an immediate update please ask to be put on my flood email group. It is a complex issue because a lot of our creek system is privately owned, and if the owners allow it to become overgrown, or make dam-like infills, their property will flood.

 

e-scooters

 

By the time you read this e-scooters for hire will have been removed from Unley with a Council vote of 6-5. The main problem in Unley is we have lots of narrow footpaths and the e-scooters often fall over and become tripping hazards, especially at night. However, more people are now using the e-scooters to go to work than walk to work so many will wish we were continuing. The State Government is considering allowing privately owned e-scooters. Because we have 40 kph local roads these scooters could use the roadway rather than the footpath.

With my best wishes,         Michael

 

Dear Friends and Owners of Unley,

 Summer is coming and Unley continues to lose trees. Unless we change what we are doing, the children of Unley will experience summer days of well over 50°C temperature. 12°C hotter than now. In the newsletter are letters from residents putting the Council on the spot.    “If council members are worried about losing votes for this charge, I can assure you that there would be an equal, if not greater, number of residents who would give their total support, who in fact are crying out for action! So, what are you, as the mayor, planning to do about it?”  The link for the answer is a click on  Inner Suburban Tree Canopy – Let’s Get Real!  We require the SA Minister for Planning’s signature to implement our City of Unley proposed solution.

Some good news…

Open Space:  Council has recognised that the biggest unfunded need caused by the high rise and infill growth is our reducing open space / per person….   See the newsletter story and our solution to meet this need.

The Parking plan for all of Unley :

$3,000 and $6,000 grants available to many Unley residents.

Footpath Budget review:

 A great annual family event is coming on Sunday, December 10^th.  Christmas is coming fast and our Unley Rotary Club is running our Christmas Carols in the Memorial Gardens. We owe so much to those in Unley who voluntarily give to make Unley a joyful place to live, share, and enjoy. Thank you, Unley Rotary.

Wishing you all a joyful,  wonder-filled Christmas, a relaxed summer season, and a prosperous new Year,

 With my best wishes,

                          Michael