Cr Rod Moss
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Suburbs
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Mitcham Community News November 2026
For everyone involved in local government, the October currently being experienced is quite different from the one anticipated at the beginning of the year and all due to circumstances outside of local government control. This time was when Council elections were planned to be held, but with the deferment by the state government to April 2027, this is no longer the case. The rescheduling has resulted in significant changes for those involved in the sector, at personal, organisational and planning levels. For those who were intending to retire at the scheduled election date in November, it has meant an additional six-month term of service and in some cases, the postponement of planned holidays and other activities. For prospective new candidates, it has resulted in an unplanned holdover period during the festive break and the prospect of a more concentrated term of campaigning in the new year.
From an operational point of view, this has placed additional pressure on current councils to manage their large project commitments which the incoming new council will be required to deliver. In all, the entire budget planning process for the upcoming term has been affected and it will be a challenging hand over period in April, so close to the end of the financial year.
Locally in Gault, safer traffic management continues to be a major focus with regular community concerns expressed about increased heavy vehicle movement along all main roads, Sussex Terrace, Winston Avenue and Grange Road. There has also been recent publicity about the extra monitoring of speed limits around schools in particular and given that there are 22 schools in the four immediate local wards, it is important to take extra care when driving through our local suburbs. The improvements at the Grange Road crossing undertaken by DIT have been a success, but Springbank Road remains an extremely busy and high-risk precinct, with negotiations with DIT ongoing to identify further traffic calming and pedestrian safety strategies. There has been consistent positive feedback from the community about the introduction of reduced 40kmh speed limits in some specific high-risk locations, with broader discussions likely to take place in the near future about a City-wide approach.
McLaren Street at Torrens Park has been the subject of particular concern with Council supporting DIT with the implementation of safety measures to deter mountain bikers from using footpaths dangerously at speed and putting pedestrians at risk. Whilst cyclists are encouraged to enjoy their healthy activities, there remains room for improvement for some in their understanding safe road rules, awareness of other road users and in some cases, the public in general.
At the Mitcham RSL, the roof replacement and associated works are nearly complete with regular trading hours expected to resume in the very near future. The Club was delighted to receive some additional funding from Council to improve internal access and to open up the main hall as a more family friendly environment for the community to enjoy.
This article may contain personal views or opinions held by individual Council Members, and may not necessarily represent the formal position of the Council