Strategic Plan and Development Plan Review

In 2012 the City of Burnside embarked on a community engagement process (the Strategic Plan and Development Plan Review), where more than 700 stakeholders, including community members and government agencies, provided comments and ideas on their vision of Burnside for the next 13 years and beyond.

This input formed the basis of Burnside’s long term strategic community plan, Be the Future of Burnside 2025, which is our shared vision for the future of Burnside.

The development of Be the Future of Burnside 2025 plan encompassed five stages. It involved research on City trends, forecast demographics, alignment with South Australia’s Strategic Plan and input from the Burnside Community, Elected Members of Burnside and Council employees.

The Plan highlights what is important and anticipates the many challenges that we are likely to encounter. It will guide the delivery of the Council’s and community’s shared vision.

In 2025, our community will be defined by the following statement – “We are renowned for our City’s green and leafy character and unique integrated urban form. We are highly regarded for our sense of community spirit, support for one another, social diversity and commitment to the environment.”

The success of this plan is the responsibility of the whole community. The community are encouraged to actively participate in achieving a place and city that we will all be proud of.

Below is a summary of the key issues that we need to consider as we plan and provide for the future needs of our community.

Urban Form

• The City of Burnside has rich heritage and character and a unique and integrated urban form.
• Our community is ageing, and there will be an increasing demand for accommodation and services for the aged.
• The State Government’s 30-Year Plan guides growth and development across the Greater Adelaide region. Councils are required to demonstrate how these State planning objectives, particularly increased housing densities, will be considered at the local level.
• Our community must balance State Government objectives for increased housing numbers and densities with the desire to protect and enhance Burnside’s historic character and provide a diverse range of housing.

Local Business and Organisations

• The business sector in Burnside currently comprises well established and mature commercial and retail centres as well as a large proportion of healthcare related facilities.
• The proportion of home based businesses is expected to grow.

Infrastructure

• The City of Burnside provides and maintains extensive infrastructure including street lighting, roads, footpaths, bikeways, stormwater drainage, community facilities and buildings.
• As our community infrastructure ages, it will need to be replaced and there will be a requirement for significant expenditure in the next 10-20 years. The ever increasing cost of building and maintaining our facilities and infrastructure requires Council to prioritise expenditure.

Transport

• The provision of effective private, public and community transport options that meet our community needs and reduce car dependency are critical issues for our future.

Culture

• Our diverse community finds expression in various community groups and initiatives including sports, arts, heritage, traditions, ceremonies and religious or spiritual activities.
• The residential population from non-English speaking backgrounds is increasing.
• As our community interests evolve, there will be the need to increase opportunities for diverse cultural expression.

Natural Environment and Trees

• Our City has a valued natural environment with desirable flora and fauna throughout both the hills face and the urban foothills.
• A future challenge will be conserving and enhancing Burnside’s natural attributes and avoiding the loss of habitat and biodiversity.
• Many of the City’s trees are aging. Regeneration and replacement is required. Initiatives that sensitively integrate urban development and the conservation of tree-lined streets and natural habitats are important to ensure that our City’s valued environment is maintained and protected.

Water

• Harnessing water resources will be a future challenge in order to achieve flood protection, healthy watercourses and improved stormwater quality, as well as water reuse to ensure that our spaces and places remain green.

Waste

• We need to increase waste diversion through recycling due to limited landfill opportunities and significant increases in the cost of disposing waste to landfill.

Energy and Climate

• There is a need to consider options to reduce energy use and greenhouse gas emissions by improving energy efficiency and encouraging alternate energy supplies through various strategies.

Community Services

• Council, in partnership with other organisations and State and Federal Governments, provides care and support to eligible members of our community, particularly the aged.
• We will need to meet the increasingly diverse needs of existing and future residents so that our City continues to be a place where people want to live.

Community Leadership and Governance

• The City of Burnside aims to provide leadership and good governance. We also aim to form effective partnerships with other councils, State and Federal Government departments and agencies, business and other stakeholders.
• We are committed to consulting with our Community so that we can help turn your Vision for Burnside 2025 into a reality.