A MAJOR land division proposal in Gawler East has been recommended not to be approved until lingering issues relating to a vital State Government-owned gas pipeline have been resolved.
The Gawler Council Assessment Panel discussed an interim report on the Springwood Communities Estate development earlier this month, which plans to subdivide more than 14ha of land east of Cheek Avenue and south of Calton Road into 188 allotments.
In the report presented to the Gawler CAP earlier this month, authored by senior members of the council’s development team, it was advised the Springwood land division not go ahead until suitable protections were put in place regarding the Port Campbell to Adelaide (PCA) gas pipeline, which traverses the affected area.
According to the report, measures to protect the pipeline from potential soil collapse, maintenance digs-ups, and other works that may threaten its integrity – in areas where there is “little separation” from proposed housing – have yet to be implemented.
This includes considering providing additional space between the property boundary and the pipeline, and installing an engineered barrier outside of the pipeline easement to better protect it.
“To our understanding and contrary to the advice provided by the applicant within the applicant’s planning report, these issues are not yet resolved with SEA Gas,” the report stated.
“Such issues need to be considered and resolved prior to the approval of any land division application affected by the SEA Gas pipeline.”
The report stated that provided designs comply with the appropriate Australian Standards and SEA Gas requirements, and that construction methods are established and approved by SEA Gas, then
threats to the PCA pipeline “will be controlled”.
In December, The Bunyip’s reporting revealed that issues regarding the PCA pipeline have been ongoing for nearly a decade.
A clause in the original Development Plan Amendment (DPA) in 2010, to rezone the land for residential use, stated an agreement was meant to have been reached between the State Planning Department, SEA Gas, and former developer Lend Lease – which sold its rights to Springwood in 2016
– to relocate an emergency valve positioned along the line.
However, this did not occur prior to the DPA being approved and while negotiations between SEA Gas and Springwood are progressing, according to council, a solution has not yet been reached.