Help protect the Barossa’s character — come along and have your say
Thank you to everyone who has supported this petition and shown how much people care about the Barossa’s future. There is now an important opportunity to turn that concern into input on the planning policies that will shape the Barossa region.
The Barossa Council is inviting community feedback on the *Strategic Character Preservation Area Design Standards and Guidance* report. This will help inform a proposed Planning Code Amendment for the Barossa Character Preservation District, expected to be drafted in early 2027.
Drawing on local knowledge and earlier community feedback, the report considers what makes the Barossa distinctive and how future development can contribute to its character rather than diminish it.
**Now is the time to get involved.** Please attend the community meeting if you can, and make your views known through the Council’s survey or by email.
### Come to the community meeting
- When: Wednesday 11 November, 5.30–6.30 pm
- Where: Barossa Park, Lyndoch
- Attendance: RSVP through Council, or simply come along on the night.
This is an opportunity to learn more, ask questions and raise your concerns. A strong community turnout will also show how much protecting the Barossa’s character matters to the people who live here.
### What should the new planning rules protect?
You do not need to be a planning expert to contribute. Your experience of living in, working in or caring about the Barossa matters. Points you may wish to raise include:
- Learning from past decisions — identifying developments you believe have detracted from the Barossa’s character, as well as examples that have enhanced it.
- Protecting our rural landscape — including vineyards, scenic views, open countryside and the distinct separation between townships.
- Keeping productive land available for agriculture — rather than allowing incompatible development to gradually compromise its future.
- Respecting our heritage and identity — from historic buildings and townships to the rural landscapes that surround them.
- Supporting good development in suitable locations — with clear expectations for design, scale and how it fits its surroundings.
- Making protection work in practice — ensuring planning rules are clear, consistently applied and able to address the cumulative impact of many individual developments.
This is not about stopping change. It is about ensuring that growth and investment are thoughtful, appropriately located and respectful of what makes the Barossa special.
### Complete the survey by Friday 27 November
Whether or not you can attend the meeting, please take a few minutes to provide your feedback.
Council survey:
https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/d802f14efdff498daba4b545e8a27b32
Alternatively, email your comments to:
Signing this petition has helped demonstrate community concern. Making a submission is another important step: it puts your views directly into the consultation that will help shape future planning policy.
Please come along, contribute your views and share this update with others who care about the Barossa.