John Zeppel

- listening, asking, leading and representing -

2022 Candidate for Walkerville Council

How can John help you?

Rates

Roads

Rubbish

Transport

Footpaths

Parking

Adapting to climate change

Open space

Character

and more ..

Traffic

The final report (24/11/2020) of the Gilberton local area traffic management and parking plan that was prepared by GTA Consultants identified 24 high priority initiatives. To see this report, search the council website for 'Gilberton local'

Many of these initiatives have been implemented, however there is a notable absence of the implementation of any of the traffic calming measures.

As a resident of Gilbert Street, it is of concern that there has been no traffic calming installed given the combination of the speed of the traffic, parking on both sides of the street and that Simpson and Gilbert Street form part of the 'Levels Bikeway' route.

The introduction of the parking restrictions was also puzzling, this appeared to be a solution for a problem that did not exist around where I reside.

Discussions with others in the Gilberton area also reveal few problems with parking other than the issue of parking on both sides of the streets. There is clearly a need for better solutions to traffic calming and some disincentives to rat-running from Stephens Terrace/Walkerville Terrace through Tyne Street and Gilbert Street.

Character

When in the early design phase of the house we built, which was on land not previously used for housing, we looked around the general area to gauge the prevailing character of the area. We observed that there is a wide range of allotment sizes and styles of buildings.

Based on our findings, we decided to include various elements of the nearby properties to enable our house to sit comfortably in its surroundings, while also being able to include a modern look and feel.

We aimed for a quality build, that should result in a long life for this dwelling.

Concern exists among local residents about the subdivision of allotments and the demolition of buildings that could still be used as a basis for renovation or extension, thus preserving character.

Appropriate design which is sympathetic to or reflects local character should be an objective for all housing in the Town of Walkerville.

People

In 2021, 29.6% of people in the Walkerville Council area (2,375 people) were born overseas, compared with 27.6% in Greater Adelaide.

18% of these 2,375 people arrived in Australia within 5 years prior to 2021.

In the Walkerville Council area, 23.3% of all people spoke a language other than English at home in 2021.

The major languages are shown in the chart:

Council needs to acknowledge the changes that are taking place in the area and work with this educated and mobile community to include them in decision-making.

About John

A resident of Gilberton since 2013, my wife and I were owner builders of our house, designed with energy efficient and age friendly features.

My local interests include traffic calming, parking, streetscapes and open space to assist with adapting to climate change.

I am committed to retaining the character of the area when considering local development and listening to community and business views.

Since 2002, I have been a director of a successful business providing comprehensive Information and Communication Technology (ICT) goods and services, currently employing 10 staff.

I have qualifications in Computer and Information Science, in addition to industry certifications.

For 11 years, I was a member of the governing body of a new secondary school at Mawson Lakes, 6 years as chair.

Since 2001, I have been a committee member advising the Lutheran Church of Australia on ICT matters.

My wife and I have 4 adult children and 10 grandchildren.