Benjamin Parkin

2022 candidate for City of Playford.
Heritage survey responses.

1. Do you think that Councils and community members need to have a greater voice in planning and development decisions affecting their local area?
   No. There is too much input and advocating. Residents and school principals and boards do give input. That is not a problem. The issue is planning is carried out top down in local government with token community input. I have been personally to an accident on John rice Avenue where a pedestrian lost their lives. One of the older residents had spent a large amount of time advocating for a crossing near the hospital. Only the lights were put in but no fence to stop crossing where the person was hit by two vehicles and killed. Walk to you local primary school if you want some proof. Some crossings are in and there is teaching staff assisting students with crossing. But there is no conversation to stagger start or home times for students. I have worked at a local government operations centre. I have worked in an engineering company with a similar number of staff. There is low morale in council and so a top down management style is used which translates out. It does not work. Privatising tasks like mowing and cleaning hss also not worked. Seeing twenty contractors bidding on a contract to clean toilets and then drive a 4x4 across ovals to do their job was an example. Council needs to ask the community for help. The community needs to trust them. The community needs to have expectations put on them.

2. What role should Councils play in protecting local heritage places from demolition or inappropriate development?
   There is no point when they cannot clean a toilet themselves. I have witnessed multiple general managers in private industry doing the right thing. And going in weekends to clean the office bathroom. Because the business could not hire a cleaner. I have followed council staff around and timed their tasks. A few exceed private industry with their work ethic. But half are pushing paper or doing something to pass the time. The councillors standing for nomination do less. Including me. Why should a mayor or councillor receive 300 to 1200 a week for being mere representatives when workers breathe cement dust for a less than living wage. If money was a motivator to serve then you would have met your member because they were so busy helping.

3. How would you seek to improve protections for heritage places in your area?
   No idea

4. We rarely see new places added to local heritage listings. Why do you think this is?
   I would like less heritage in Adelaide.

5. How has the Planning and Design Code impacted on the heritage, amenity, and environment of your area? What changes would you seek to the Code?
   No idea

6. What are the impacts of infill development in your area? What changes would you seek in the rules around infill development?
   No idea

7. Construction of new housing typically uses 30% labour and 70% materials. Renovation of existing housing stock typically uses 70% labour and 30% materials. What policy changes would you like to see made to encourage people to renovate, rather than demolish and build anew?
   Adelaide is too conservative so I prefer to see more buildings demolished. Especially the old jail in Adelaide City councils area. People suffered there. Same with Trinity church on North terrace. Stone came from near parliament house but also sacred rock from near entertainment centre. Buildings are not meant to be conserved like miss havishams mausoleum. The architects used an inverted ship hull shape for more than load bearing reasons. Buildings serve the people.

8. How should the community be informed and involved in decisions about new developments?
   They have a lot of information. The issue is they are not included emotionally. Unlike even third world communities government is not felt as a duty.

9. Do you think there is adequate tree canopy across your local government area?
   More than enough.

10. How would you like to see significant and regulated trees in your area protected from removal?
    Most are maintained well. The historical trees we have that are before European settlement. Arborists are employed in their care. I personally am for removing Eucalypts where their main branches are bearing too much weight. Not many have dropped with the la Nina colder weather this year but they are a risk to cars and pedestrians and people with child care and schools.

11. What involvement should Councils have in decisions about protecting or removing significant and regulated trees?
    None. They find it too hard to monitor the existing ones which fall and kill people every two years or so. If there is any task council have failed in the they need to have that task taken away.

12. What actions would you advocate to slow or mitigate the impacts of climate change in your local government area?
    There would be little we could do.

13. What issues are there with traffic and parking in your area?
    Not a lot.

14. How could transport options be improved in your area?
    I have no idea.

15. What would your top three priorities be for improving planning policy and outcomes in your local government area?
    I have no opinion because I do not have the information. There are experts in this. I'm only a servant.