A petition is being presented at tonight’s Council Meeting (9 July 2025) regarding the proposed Dockside Development at Port Vincent Marina.

The following response addresses key concerns raised in the petition to provide clarification and transparency for our community.

 

Overall
It is important to note that Council is not the relevant authority for Planning Consent and does not make decisions to approve or refuse the development application. This responsibility rests with the Council Assessment Panel (CAP) – an independent panel comprising four Accredited Professionals and one Elected Member.

 

In response to specific concerns raised (petition in bold, answers below; note petition statements may be edited for brevity):

 

Council administration is engaging to support the development without a resolution of Elected Members
No such resolution is required; however, a formal Council resolution was carried at a Confidential Council Meeting on 13 April 2022 (released to the public on 12 April 2023) giving in-principle support for the development of car parking on Council land.
Council has not formally agreed to any car parking proposal, and staff have raised concerns about the developers’ current design.

 

Council is supporting a development that lacks proven benefits for the community
Staff are expected to work with applicants lodging development proposals.

 

Council staff are wasting time and money by working on behalf of the developer
Council staff are not working for or on behalf of the developer. Staff are assessing the development in line with all legislative requirements and providing updates to Elected Members when necessary.

 

Public consultation did not meet legal requirements
Public notification for this development was conducted in accordance with the relevant Practice Direction. Council has no control over the public notification process for development applications.

 

Council is withholding information about community land being lost
There is no proposal to reclassify community land, and no community land will be lost as part of the project.

 

Council is delaying consultation to amend the Community Land Management Plan
There is no proposed or required change to the Community Land Management Plan as part of this development.

 

The petition calls for the CEO to be directed to stop undertaking work for the developer
Council staff have not undertaken any work on behalf of the developer beyond what is required by legislation.

 

Council appreciates community feedback and is committed to providing clear and factual information. We encourage anyone with further questions to contact Council directly.