Gary Balfort

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?
   Yes absolutely.

2. What role should Councils play in protecting local heritage places from demolition or inappropriate development?
   We need to protect the heritage places of this city, to me heritage places tell the story of how far the city has come.

3. How would you seek to improve protections for heritage places in your area?
   I am a candidate who at the moment is not across concerns of the national trust, but I am willing to listen. Saying that my father was a member of the national trust and took us as kids to various events etc. So I am familiar with what they do and what they stand for.

4. 
   

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?
   Unsure, not across this.

6. What are the impacts of infill development in your area? What changes would you seek in the rules around infill development?
   Stop housing plots being very very small. I my opinion this causes cramped conditions and puts more stress on local council.

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?
   Unsure

8. How should the community be informed and involved in decisions about new developments?
   More better way of letting the community know that they have a say on developments. Most people don't know what's going on till it's to late. And many feel like they have no voice.

9. Do you think there is adequate tree canopy across your local government area?
   It seems to be getting a bit better, but personally I would like to see more.

10. How would you like to see significant and regulated trees in your area protected from removal?
    Unsure

11. What involvement should Councils have in decisions about protecting or removing significant and regulated trees?
    Unsure, but I would assume with their knowledge of the area they would have valuable insight that could help protect trees.

12. What actions would you advocate to slow or mitigate the impacts of climate change in your local government area?
    More trees, utilising the Aquifer, mandating all home have rain water tanks. And where possible getting people to use clothes lines.

13. What issues are there with traffic and parking in your area?
    So many small homes with small drive ways. many people have 2 to 3 cars per property so there is a lot of cars parked on narrow streets.

14. How could transport options be improved in your area?
    More public transport, more frequently would help.

15. What would your top three priorities be for improving planning policy and outcomes in your local government area?
    More consultation between developers and council
    I would like to see (boots test) for new planning must be better of for all strategies
    Roads and transport must have (can this road handle growth in the future) specifically with how fast playford is growing.