50 signatures reached
To: • Primary Target: Mitchell Silk (Development Compliance Officer) • Organisation/Group: Mount Barker District Council
Support the continuation of our private, non-commercial vehicle hobby.
Support our private, non-commercial vehicle hobby.
The issue
1. The Council's Position
Mount Barker District Council has initiated inquiries regarding the property following complaints received from the public concerning the visual landscape, streetscape visibility, and an alleged reduction in local neighborhood amenity.
Based on these visual landscape complaints, Council has suggested that the volume of vehicles constitutes an unauthorized change of land use to an industrial car yard or commercial wrecking business under the Planning, Development and Infrastructure Act 2016 (SA).
Crucially, Council's position implies that the family would be required to formally apply for property rezoning to legally keep these vehicles.
The Howard family has no intention or desire to pursue rezoning, nor should they have to, because they are absolutely not operating a commercial business on this land.
2. Our Understanding & Response to Complaining Neighbours.
As immediate community members, we understand and completely respect why a nearby resident or passerby may have raised a complaint regarding the visual landscape.
A high volume of vehicles visible from a main thoroughfare like the Princes Highway, or viewed from the elevated public footpath leading up to the school behind the yard, can create valid questions regarding neighborhood neatness and local residential amenity area. We agree that properties should be kept orderly and respectful of our shared township character.
3. The Practical Resolution & Support for Continuing the Hobby.
In response to these valid community observations, the Howard family has transparently shared their formal action plan with us. We fully support this plan as a complete, practical resolution to restore the visual landscape, and we firmly declare that rezoning should not have to happen for them to continue their passion:
1.Complete Front Yard Clearance: All project vehicles are actively being moved completely out of the front yard, permanently restoring the main road streetscape and visual landscape.
2. Extensive Backyard Remediation: The family is undertaking an extensive cleanup within the private confines of their backyard—meticulously tidying, organizing, and clearing all loose parts to ensure the entire area is kept neat, clean, and orderly.
3.Targeted Rear Boundary Screening: A compliant 2.1-metre boundary fence extension combined with dense privacy landscaping is being installed to permanently block the line of sight from the elevated school pathway.
4. Hobby Validation: We confirm that this activity is strictly a private, non-commercial recreational pursuit. No commercial wrecking business or part-selling operation exists at this address.
We fully support our neighbours in continuing their long-standing private vehicle hobby under this tidying and screening framework.
We respectfully request that Council accept their counter-proposal, and drop further enforcement actions.
Why is this important?
For 20+ years, our family has quietly enjoyed our private vehicle hobby at 10 Princes Highway, Nairne. Recently, Mount Barker District Council received a visual landscape complaint, mischaracterizing our personal passion as an industrial wrecking business.
We completely respect our neighbours and have proposed a thorough action plan to move all vehicles to the backyard and install extensive privacy screening. We do not intend to rezone our family home.
Supporting this petition protects the rights of everyday residents to peacefully maintain long-term hobbies on their own property under a clean, respectful, and fully screened framework.
We completely respect our neighbours and have proposed a thorough action plan to move all vehicles to the backyard and install extensive privacy screening. We do not intend to rezone our family home.
Supporting this petition protects the rights of everyday residents to peacefully maintain long-term hobbies on their own property under a clean, respectful, and fully screened framework.