Dear Friends and Owners of Unley,

I hope you enjoy the 2026 Spring News below. Next April 2027 we have Council elections. After 20 years of elected service and with a significant Birthday later this year, I will not be seeking re-election again as your mayor. Some details are in the Newsletter. Thank you for your support, ideas, and encouragement over two decades. As usual, “This newsletter is the voice of your mayor and may not reflect the formal Council position”.

Without support, no-one on Council alone can achieve anything. I have had brilliant support and ideas from the two Deputy Mayors Council has elected this term. Monica Broniecki and Jack Gaffey, both were elected twice by elected members and both, on the second time unanimously. Jack is our current Deputy Mayor.  I am also thankful for the support I have both received and been able to give our current Councillors. We have another 8 months to serve.

No Mayor can expect or should expect to control Council. We need to understand that every elected member has one or two issues that they ran for election on and therefore wish to have the chance to be heard and voted on.

I believe only four Councillors will be re-standing for the next term for election as Councillors. Every Ward will have either one or no existing Councillor rerunning. I also believe that two of our existing Councillors including our Deputy Mayor, will be standing for election as Mayor.  

The good news.

Unley Council now has a new set of rules that protect your elected members that serve you.

Like so many other Councils, prior to the introduction of our Behavioural Management Policy  Unley Council had numerous Code of Conduct cases poisoning the good governance of our Council. This generated bad publicity that undermined public confidence in Local Government. We needed to develop a totally new approach.

Our newly elected Council in 2022 had public costly cases, and then in 2023 after we introduced our Policy the outcomes speak for themselves:

1. zero legal costs since
2. All complaints resolved or were withdrawn.
3. The tone of Council changed and has become respectful and engaged.

After three years’ experience we have reviewed our 2023 code, and the attached code was unanimously agreed to.

In 2027, Please nominate. I have attached the achievements of the previous Council. Next year I will send you the achievements of this Council. If you agree with most…. You are way ahead…. If you nominate then “in Unley, you can do good”.

With my best wishes,

                          Michael

 

Dear Friends and owners of Unley,

 

Please find attached Michael’s Winter news and enjoy!. Some bad news… but lots of good.

 

Planning for growth, (with no winter’s sun and overbearing development next door!)

Unley PS  76% W&C

FOGO  for lower rates

Strip $$$ all the trees

Festival of Rice

Solar  for Units?

Tree wells in streets

Rate rise/surplus 2026-7

Foxy Youth Art

 

If you would like to be kept up to date on any particular issue just let my Assistant Justine know, and you will be kept in the loop as it happens! “Planning for Growth” is a new email group with only 54 residents currently being kept up to date as reports come to Council and changes are made. I fully support Unley Council working with the State Government to achieve a liveable, vibrant, cool green city for the future. Our Council Assessment Panel (CAP) makes decisions based on the rules set by the SA Government. Rules for space and planting trees have no incentives for new developments to comply! Hence as we run out of Council land to plant trees on, without change, we will cook.

The newsletter tells the story of Terry and Sue, a story with no winter’s sun and overbearing development next door!

I am proud of our Council and so grateful for your feedback on our Planning for Growth. You have armed us to work with the SA Government and advocate for our future.

I hope to see you this Saturday for RICE, 12.00 noon -6.00 pm Oxford Tce … details in newsletter!

 

With my best wishes,

                          Michael

 

 

Dear Friends and Owners of Unley,   Autumn 2026 News

 

I hope you enjoy the Autumn News. We are having a lot of 40-45C days. Heat stress is a major killer. Our four Community Centres are cool refuges for all.
Without our trees, we would have 50-55C days. Council approved our tree canopy incentive implementation plan. (Attached) To ensure a cool green future for Unley, we need the State Minister for Planning to approve a 10-year trial.
High-rise Score Card. With so much high-rise developments occurring, I thought you would like to have a Council Scorecard. See the quality review attached. Below the newsletter

Rules without consequences do not work. Look at how many high-rise developments do not have the 7% deep soil. Our tree canopy incentives has small consequence to encourage owners to grow the trees that they are supposed to plant.

With my best wishes,

                          Michael

Mayor Michael Hewitson AM

City Of Unley  8372 5111  0439752867   

https://www.michaelhewitsonmayor.org

https://www.facebook.com/MayorMichaelHewitsonAM

Major Developments – Assessed by State Commission Assessment Panel

 

Dear Friends and Owners of Unley,

Please enjoy the Summer news with many varied stories and your feedback. Love your letters, which provide the stories…. Thank you.

 

Planning for Growth

Why?  We were asked by the SA Government to plan for 3,440 new dwellings to our existing 17,650 dwellings by 2051. The Unley Council Plan for consultation shows the capacity across the city to accommodate an increase of over 6,200 new dwellings.  We believe that we shouldn't just be building out and extending Adelaide forever across our agricultural farmland, our food bowl.  Nor should our next generation be needlessly financially forced to the outer reaches.

 

Will Unley become unlivable?

Council unanimously approved “Planning for Growth” for consultation and congratulated our staff for the work undertaken with us, and this is now for you to consider. Council has to work within our State Planning Code. Council has sought progressive changes to the State Planning Code. The Plan recognises that action is needed and seeks to address our current problems 1. Tree canopy loss   2. Lack of open Space, and then much more. 3.4.5.6.7… The Plan aims to support new dwellings that better accommodate all ages within our community, with opportunities for increased population, greater housing diversity, local employment, and services.

 

Will Unley become unlivable?

If we continue with current practices, with the current rate of development, then the answer is yes. 2,750 new dwellings are being added by 2051. An example of current practice in play is development at 290 Unley Road, which is following all of the existing rules and practices, and demonstrates why. 290 Unley Road has removed a significant tree, a regulated tree, and a third tree, as pictured. The new building leaves no space for a single tree. On hot days, it’s now a radiator, not a cooler! In 2024, we are still removing two trees for every one planted. An area the size of Unley Oval is lost each year. Council is planting trees equivalent to 1-1½ Unley Ovals each year. We run out of plantable Council land in 2028. Then gradually, yes. Unley will be like the suburbs in Sydney with 10% tree canopy and 55°C days.

 

Council Action

Please find attached the letter that the Council sent to the Minister for Planning seeking his approval for a 10-year financial incentive tree offset trial.

The Trial: ONLY new developments that increase the built-up area will either have >15% tree canopy or be required to pay 10% higher rates. I have also attached letters of support from the other political parties and the candidates running for the seat of Unley. With Labor in Government, we now await the Minister’s response to our request.

 

When discussing the King William Road north 10-storey code amendment on the corner of King William Road and Mary Street, we went to the Minister for Planning to advise that we needed three inclusions for new code amendments, to ensure that Unley remains liveable, cool, and green. We need more open space!

The three inclusions, especially if you live next door, are:

1.             30 °angle to the zone boundary, to provide for winter sun and privacy.

2.             >15% tree canopy cover – our tree canopy offset incentive is needed, or $54M annually to buy land to plant trees on. This is more than our rates each year!

3.             That new development fits in with the City Plan, e.g., considers parking, traffic congestion, waste, energy, flooding, etc.

I have also attached answers to questions that I have been asked over the past 7 years about our Plan, and if you have a new one, your question is very welcome.

Please let my assistant, Amanda, know if your email has changed or if you wish to be removed from my newsletter email group abates@unley.sa.gov.au.

Focus has invited our Manager for Development and Planning, Don Donaldson, to share and discuss our “Planning for Growth” on Tuesday, 11^th November at the Unley Community Centre located at 18 Arthur Street.

 

I hope that Unley’s children and grandchildren will have a liveable, cool, and green City in the decades to come.

With my best wishes,          Michael    

Mayor Michael Hewitson AM

 

Winter 2025

Dear Friends and owners of Unley,

I hope you enjoy the winter news.

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

Museum is closing 2026 to expand!

The Neighbour’s tree

Fire Fighting Bicycle

Strong support 40kph

Weekly green bins 1/5

Young St Cross Unley Bikeway

 

In July we are undertaking a public consultation on the ‘only option’ to ensure our Tree canopy may achieve our target 31% by 2045. 668 individual residents in our Shaping Our Tree Strategy on Private Property Consultation all came up with the same idea. “There should be a minimum canopy for new developments that increased 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. Across Unley, including private property we remove two trees for every one planted. We will eventually lose our canopy. With less and less land to plant trees on, we will never be able to regain it. Some Sydney Suburbs with 10% tree canopy now have >50°C days, over 10°C more than their neighbouring suburb with <40°C.

Grade four students at Goodwood Primary School (GPS) visits Council and asked lots of questions. They learn how a debate with information can lead to a different understanding.  After workshops, and a debate, the Council makes lots of unanimous decisions.  However, Council also makes many decisions where there is no right answer. (“Unless it is the one that agrees with my opinion!”) Both Councillors and the community are divided. Black Forest PS students debated, “Should dogs be allowed off leash on Goodwood Oval” their answer by majority was, NO’ Without DEBATE 85% of the GPS said, Yes.

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

Michael Hewitson AM Mayor of Unley

 

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