Murray Bridge’s growth needs to be properly managed, John DeMichele says

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Everywhere you look around Murray Bridge, new houses are springing up.

That’s fantastic, says council candidate John DeMichele – but we need to make sure all this growth is properly managed.

Enter the real estate agent and councillor, who is seeking another four years in office at the current council election.

“Murray Bridge is one of the fastest-growing regional towns in South Australia,” he says.

“We need to embrace this and get organised.”

Murray Bridge’s council needs to do more to unlock residential land which can easily be connected to existing services, he says.

“We’ve started looking at re-zoning in the western area of town,” he says.

“I feel we really need to focus on that.

“Connecting that western area, with more residential lots, will enable more families to move in.

“We need to focus on making the town bigger without building new infrastructure.”

Those families will be able to walk or ride bicycles along the Adelaide Road linear park to get to their workplaces and schools, he suggests.

After all, that relaxed lifestyle is a big part of Murray Bridge’s appeal.

With that in mind, if elected, he will oppose any “glorified camping sites” of the sort being proposed by the state government, which he worries could cause social problems.

“I’ve got deep concerns about this,” he says.

“Racking and stacking is not going to be the answer.

“If we’re serious about housing, what we have to do is have better systems (in place) in getting approvals through for residential construction.”

Shortages of building materials and qualified tradespeople are problems too, he acknowledges, but they are only made worse by the months-long wait every property owner faces to get a new home built.

“If we can speed up the process, we can get houses built and get families in,” he says.

Streamlining the approvals process will take hard work and dedication – and strong advocacy from Murray Bridge’s next crop of councillors.

Mr DeMichele hopes to be one of them.

How to vote for John DeMichele

Voters in the Murray Bridge district should have received their ballot papers by post this week.

On the ballot paper listing the 15 council candidates, place a “1” in the box next to DE MICHELE, John; then fill in the numbers 2-9 next to your preferred candidates.

Place your ballot paper in the supplied envelope, seal it, complete the details on the flap and return it to the Electoral Commission of South Australia by 5pm on November 10.

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