William Miller

2022 candidate for City of Holdfast Bay.
Heritage survey responses.

Do you think that Councils and community members need to have a greater voice in planning and development decisions affecting their local area?
Yes they do. Local decisions are best made at the local levels and the assessment panels need greater representation from the community.
What role should Councils play in protecting local heritage places from demolition or inappropriate development?
Councils have to play an important role due to their connection with local communities. Councils should be the vanguard for heritage protection because no other level of government will.
How would you seek to improve protections for heritage places in your area?
1. Heritage list our brilliant and hitherto unprotected Art Deco properties 2. Advocate for more sympathetic development through greater planning powers for local government
We rarely see new places added to local heritage listings. Why do you think this is?
In the council term of 2014-2018 there were no new places added to the local heritage list. In this term there have been 27, of which I moved the motion. Next term I hope to get at least a dozen more added. We must add more to local heritage lists because the nature of heritage preservation is constantly changing. There are still many buildings that should have been listed decades ago but have fallen through the cracks time and time again. That is why heritage lists should be updated regularly because the heritage value of a property does not diminish over time, it gets stronger.
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?
The major changes that need to take place include 1. Bringing greater power back to local government and investing that power into community representatives, not developers 2. Greater protections for streetscapes and tree canopies. Heritage preservation is not just about individual listings but the character of the area. 3. More avenues for properties to receive local heritage listing and stronger demolition controls and penalties for deliberate dilapidation tactics.
What are the impacts of infill development in your area? What changes would you seek in the rules around infill development?
Infill development has always been an issue in our area. It creates traffic volume issues, water table issues, parking issues, loss of open space. There is little council can do but play an advocacy role and enhance our streets to supply capacity for infill. More preserved properties and open spaces helps rectify this.
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?
It is an interesting one. Perhaps greater oversight or regulation, plus subsidies for restorative practices and renovations rather than incentivising new builds. Broadening the first home owners grant to include older housing stock.
How should the community be informed and involved in decisions about new developments?
They should not just be informed through public notification but should have greater rights to comment on developments. The Seawall development was a farce and the community / council were barely involved in the decision.
Do you think there is adequate tree canopy across your local government area?
No, but it is getting better thanks to a tree audit that has been conducted.
How would you like to see significant and regulated trees in your area protected from removal?
Council is the protector of significant trees and should remain such.
What involvement should Councils have in decisions about protecting or removing significant and regulated trees?
It should be a Council decision. The buck stops here.
What actions would you advocate to slow or mitigate the impacts of climate change in your local government area?
Implementation of environment strategy which includes - carbon neutral by 2030 - extended tree canopy cover - tree net inlets for storing water in soil rather than going into stormwater drains - coastal protection (Coastal Adaptation Plan fully funded upon my initiative) - weekly green bin pickup plus innovative circular economy initiatives at our waste management site (ongoing, and currently a nation leader) - creating open green space east of Brighton road (long term purchasing of properties needs to be looked at)
What issues are there with traffic and parking in your area?
Glenelg and Brighton have capacity issues.
How could transport options be improved in your area?
Greater walkability, more investment in locally run public transport options (small busses), more state investment in prioritising public transport on our roads and funding greater light rail initiatives. An expanded Glenelg jetty and Ferry options across the gulf of st Vincent for day trippers to and from Glenelg.
What would your top three priorities be for improving planning policy and outcomes in your local government area?
Art Deco Heritage Review (underway)
Traffic Management solutions for side streets impacted by overdevelopment in Glenelg
The completion of the Jetty Rd Glenelg Masterplan