Residents guide Information and resources for residents of the Adelaide Hills Council region Contents 3 From the Mayor 4 Contact details 5 Visit us Essentials 6 How to report issues 7 Rates info 8 Pets and animals 9 Payments 10 Waste and recycling 11 Planning and building 12 Wastewater 13 Biodiversity and environment 14 Fire season and emergency management planning 15 Burning in the open 16 Parks and reserves About the Adelaide Hills 17 District map 18 Council members 20 Organisational structure 21 Strategic Planning Council Services 22 Libraries 23 Community Centres 24 Arts and culture 26 Volunteering 27 Children’s programs 28 Youth 29 Seniors 30 Public health 31 Events 32 Business support 33 Website 34 Community engagment 35 Cudlee Creek bushfire recovery 36 Useful guides From the Mayor I am very proud to be serving a community as vibrant, inclusive, dynamic and innovative as ours in the beautiful Adelaide Hills. Our community nurtures an incredible sense of community and self-support, evidenced by responses to bushfire, pandemic, and in the face of ongoing challenges including climate change and economic pressures. We want to provide our community with the necessary tools and environment to survive and thrive. We talk about Council as ‘roads, rates, and rubbish’, but of course it’s much more than that; we actually have over 200 different services, many of which you’ll discover in this guide. I encourage you to engage with your Council and get the most out of living in the hills. By joining conversations, following our social media or e-newsletter, participating in programs and events, or attending Council meetings, you will become aware of the amazing things that occur in your community and see the impact of your voice being heard. Dr Jan-Claire Wisdom 3 Welcome Contact details phone 08 8408 0400 [email protected] envelope PO Box 44 Woodside SA 5244 desktop ahc.sa.gov.au Participate in community consultations, surveys, and policy updates Sign up for our monthly e-newsletter Download the My Local Services app Follow us on social media: facebook @adelhillscouncil twitter @ahcouncil instagram @adelaidehillscouncil linkedin @adelaide-hills-council youtube Adelaide Hills Council official AHC is the best council I’ve ever dealt with – every time I contact council everyone is so helpful and kind. Margaret Bridgewater 4 Welcome Visit us If you want to chat with us in person, our doors are open across the Council district. Coventry Library and Service Centre 63 Mt Barker Road, Stirling Woodside Library and Service Centre 26 Onkaparinga Valley Road, Woodside Gumeracha Library and Service Centre 45 Albert Street, Gumeracha The Summit Community Centre 4 Crescent Drive, Norton Summit Torrens Valley Community Centre 45 Albert Street, Gumeracha Positive Ageing Centre 36 Nairne Road, Woodside Fabrik Arts + Heritage 1 Lobethal Road, Lobethal Heathfield Resource Recovery Centre 32 Scott Creek Road, Heathfield See online for opening hours 5 Welcome How to report issues Come across a fallen tree? Found a lost dog? Maybe you just want to update your phone number with us. Here’s how to do it. phone Call us on 08 8408 0400. We have an emergency after-hours service that runs 24/7. desktop Report it online twitter Send us a tweet facebook PM us on Facebook instagram or Instagram We take our service to the community very seriously and have a number of service standards that guide our timeframes for customer requests. These standards are listed online for your reference. 6 Essentials Rates info Rates give us the resources to provide over 200 services to our community. The amount you pay in rates is based partly on property values. Rates are payable in four equal instalments in September, December, March and June annually. Opt to receive your rates notices electronically via EZYbill or BPAY View; see our website for instructions. You can also make your quarterly payments in a variety of ways. desktop Online arrow-right Ongoing and temporary Direct Debit arrow-right BPay phone By Telephone on our rates line 1300 012 388 arrow-right Australia Post, in person envelope By mail PO Box 44 Woodside SA 5244 More information about rates, including rebates and concessions, is available on our website. Did you know? Our rates are determined by the following calculation: Capital Value of your property Rate in the dollar (declared annually) A Fixed Charge component Landscape Levy CWMS Levy (if applicable) = Your rate 7 Essentials Pets and animals Animals in our district must be managed in a healthy and considered way. We help you do this through animal management guidelines, By-laws and advice. Dog and cat owners must ensure that their pets are microchipped and desexed (compulsory for those born after 1 July 2018 unless exempted as a working dog or registered breeder). Dogs also need to be registered from three months of age on Dogs and Cats Online (DACO) with dog registration due in July each year. Cats are also required to be registered in our district, and owners can currently add their pet’s details to the system free of charge. From 1 January 2022 cat owners will need to keep their cats on their property. As this date approaches we will be helping residents understand options for this requirement. For more information: ahc.sa.gov.au/Resident/pets-animals Did you know? The most common breeds of dog registered in our district are Border Collies and Australian Kelpies (20%). 8 Essentials Payments You can make payments online for rates, animal registration, development applications, debts and infringements. Alternatively you can pay over the telephone, in person at one of our service centres, by posted cheque, or, in some cases, by BPay or at Australia Post. Give our friendly service centre staff a call on 8408 0400 to confirm options for your particular payment. For more information: pay.ahc.sa.gov.au 9 Essentials Waste and recycling Waste and co-mingled recycling bins are provided for all properties in our district, and green organics bins are provided for residents in townships. Waste bins are collected kerbside weekly, and recycling and green organics bins (where relevant) are collected on alternate fortnights. Find your collection day on our waste calendar. Find applications for new or additional bins on our website. Give East Waste a call on 8347 5150 to report a missed collection or damaged bin, or report it via their website. Hard waste, batteries, electronic waste, and household chemicals (including paint) can all be disposed of at the Heathfield Resource Recovery Centre, seven days a week. Residents can also book one ‘at call’ hard waste collection each financial year. Did you know? Find out how to correctly dispose of any item at whichbin.sa.gov.au. 10 Essentials Planning and building Our Council area is made up of nearly 800 square kilometres which means that we are covered by several different planning zones, each with their own rules. We recommend that you speak with our Duty Planner well before you engage an architect, designer, or other contractor to undertake work – even jobs that seem run-of-the-mill like replacing a fence or removing a tree could have their own set of rules. Call on 8408 0400 for assistance. Our Planning and Building page has plenty of fact sheets, application forms, and helpful information on preparing a development application for a range of activities. We are always happy to talk with you about your plans, application process and more. Current development applications can be viewed online as can our Council’s Development Plan. See the SA Planning Portal for more information about SA’s planning reforms and what’s new in this space. 11 Essentials Wastewater Unlike many metropolitan council areas, not all of our residents are connected to mains water or an external sewer system. There are a number of types of wastewater treatment options: 1 Traditional SA Water gravity sewer 2 Pressure sewer (whereby each property has a maceration unit) 3 Community Wastewater Management Systems (CWMS) 4 On-site systems (septic, aerobic or alternative) When you purchase a new property you can check our website to see if your area is listed with wastewater options. If relevant, you should then ask your real estate agent (or previous owner) about the wastewater arrangements in place, and ask to see the property’s Schedule 2 Document, which will inform you if any legal notices apply to the property. When in doubt, give our Environmental Health Officers a call on8408 0400 to discuss your specific case. 12 Essentials Biodiversity and environment Our district is a biodiversity hotspot in the Mount Lofty Ranges. Council manages approximately 2,050 hectares of land across conservation reserves, Crown land, and high value road reserves. We work hard with volunteers and the State Government to rehabilitate these areas. You can help our biodiversity by planting native plants, including trees, shrubs, and groundcover, and managing weeds consistently so that they don’t have the chance to spread and destroy native habitats. Our native wildlife is one of the many reasons people love living in the Adelaide Hills and you might even be sharing your backyard with a range of creatures from bees to kangaroos. For the most part we can co-exist comfortably, and you can findmore information about looking after our wildlife or removing unwanted critters on our website. You should also be aware of the signs of Phytophthora cinnamomi, a soil pathogen that infects some native plants, and many agricultural plants like vines, fruits, and nuts. If infected, plants are unable to transport water and nutrients and ultimately die, so please look out for it and help us reduce the spread of this destructive soil fungus.