Council and Politics

03 Sep 2025

Town square redesign

Mt Barker’s proposed 2000sqm town square has been redesigned after architects determined its original layout was impractical. Previous plans to include an oval-shaped grassed area have been abandoned in favor of a variety of different sized lawn...

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03 Sep 2025

Resignations trigger supplementary elections

Four new councillors will be elected to Hills councils next month, following a wave of resignations earlier this year. The Adelaide Hills Council will hold two supplementary elections for its Ranges and Valleys wards, while Mt Barker residents will...

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27 Aug 2025

Deputy Mayor to apologise over conflict of interest

An investigation by the Ombudsman found that Mt Barker Deputy Mayor Samantha Jones breached the Local Government Act by failing to declare a conflict of interest when she was appointed to the position last year. However, she was not found guilty of...

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27 Aug 2025

No show: Adelaide Hills councillors have the lowest attendance rate in the Hills

Three of the 13 people elected to the Adelaide Hills Council missed more than half of their scheduled council meetings this year. Current Councillor Kirrilee Boyd has attended six of the council’s 16 meetings this year, while former Councillor...

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27 Aug 2025

Urgent works to ensure old mill safety

The Adelaide Hills Council will fork out more than $500,000 for urgent “keep safe” works on a council-owned stormwater culvert that runs underneath the Old Onkaparinga Woollen Mill site at Lobethal. At a special council meeting earlier this...

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20 Aug 2025

Missed meetings: council to investigate attendance issues

Council staff will examine how often Adelaide Hills Councillors skip meetings and the impact prolonged or frequent absences have on the council. At a meeting last week elected members supported a motion put by Councillor Adrian Cheater, asking chief...

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20 Aug 2025

Council to investigate regional pound

A Mt Barker councillor is pushing for a regional pound to address the growing number of stray cats in the district. At a meeting on Monday last week, Councillor Rowan Voogt asked if the council could investigate the potential for establishing an...

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Council reveals source of wetland foam

A white foam that appeared at the Laratinga Wetlands at Mt Barker has been identified as a harmless naturally occurring “phenomenon” which forms after periods of high water flow. A Mt Barker Council spokesperson told The Courier that white foam...

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Scott Murphy

Council to consider co-located housing

Adelaide Hills Council area residents may be able to build additional dwellings within existing properties without subdividing, with the viability of co-located housing to be explored as part of the council’s housing strategy. It comes as the...

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Bee backlash: community responds to bee, rooster and livestock by-law

The Adelaide Hills Council will consider whether to further consult with the community on a controversial proposed by-law that would require residents living within towns to seek permission to keep roosters, bees or livestock. It comes after an...

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News

Mt Barker traffic congestion resulting in gridlock

A Mt Barker Council report has found that the town’s arterial road network is struggling to cope with traffic congestion during peak periods, creating “significant delays” and “gridlock”. The report into the state of the Mt Barker arterial...

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06 Aug 2025

Council to trial outreach library service

A pilot program that will deliver a small-scale library outreach service to a township outside of Mt Barker is being funded through a $10,000 investment by the local council. The Library Pilot Program will take the form of a “flexible...

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