All land owned by Council or under a Council’s care, control and management, other than roads or land owned as freehold land, is classified as community land. Examples of community land include:

• Recreation parks and reserves.
• Sportsgrounds.
• Undeveloped open space.
• Walking trails.
• Drainage reserves.
• Community buildings.

Land not owned by Council, but under Council care and control is indicated in a Community Land Management Plan (CLMP) typically as Crown Land, which is owned by the State Government. Crown Land is dedicated to a Council for operating and maintaining and must be used for a specific public purpose which is determined by the State Government.

Community land is held for the enjoyment and benefit of the community.

For the most part, community land is freely accessible by members of the public, however access to community land may be affected if there is a safety risk or if there is an agreement to permit exclusive access for a period of time.

Under the Local Government Act 1999, community land may have a lease, licence or permit issued for a tenant (such as a sporting club), user group or hirer to have exclusive or nonexclusive access for a prescribed period. Council considers each tenant, user group or hirer’s suitability in line with the CLMP for the applicable land.

The Community Land Register includes information regarding the primary tenants of community land and is available to view on Council’s website here.

Not all land held by a council is classified as community land. A council may own ‘freehold’ land, an example of which may include land on which a council depot or offices are located. These do not require a CLMP.

Road reserves are not classified as community land and therefore are not reflected in a CLMP.

The road reserve is the section of land between private property which typically comprises elements including:

• Public road.
• Nature strip or verge.
• Footpath or cycle way.
• Drains or culverts.

CLMPs are a set of documents determined by council which clearly outline how a council manages community land which they either own or which is under its care and control. CLMPs explain the way in which the land is to be used. Additional information about Council’s existing CLMPs can be found here.

CLMPs set out the following:

• Land information and categorisation.
• Purpose for which the land is held.
• Proposals for managing the land.
• Lease and licence provisions.
• Objectives and performance measurements.
• Why and when land is managed.

Section 196 of the Local Government Act 1999 requires each council to prepare and adopt management plans for its community land. The CLMPs group all community land into categories to clearly define how they will be managed. Council has a responsibility to current and future generations to care for and preserve community land within the City of Playford, and CLMPs are part of Council formalising this commitment.

Community land is grouped into specific categories according to its role and intended use. The table below shows how we have done this.

Categorisation is an effective way to focus on the essential aspects of each parcel of land as many have identical or similar functions. With approximately 1100 parcels of community land in Playford it is not feasible to have an individual plan for each parcel.

Each category may apply to one or more separate land parcels depending upon the land’s physical characteristics, associated infrastructure, use and management objectives.

Council must keep a register of community land, which is separate to the CLMPs and usually in the form of a spreadsheet. The register must contain the below information for each parcel of community land:

• The legal description of the land.
• Certificate of title, allotment number and deposited plan.
• Street address.
• Property owner.
• Any lease or licence granted over land.

Any lease or licence granted over the land. The Community Land Register will be available on Council’s website after Council has endorsed the CLMPs. The register will be updated periodically.

CLMPs are not stand-alone documents. They are updated and categorised with reference to, and are consistent with, all documents within Council’s strategic planning framework. The CLMP is not a day-to-day operational document but rather a measure of accountability in public asset management and a reference document for members of the public who wish to know more about Council’s management of land.

Council is focused on its role in supporting growth within our Playford community. The Walker Corporations’ Riverlea development will bring significant residential growth and business opportunities to our region. The Walker Corporation is required to provide a portion of their development for public use and open space. The land mentioned in the community engagement materials may be vested to Council as sporting grounds.

Council’s role is to ensure the care and maintenance for open and public spaces is in keeping with Council and community expectations, as outlined in Council’s CLMP for Sportsgrounds. The CLMP engagement process enables Council to seek the views of the community prior to receiving the land, on how it should be accessed or used.

A Shared Use Agreement (or Licence Agreement per the definition under the Local Government Act 1999) is a non-exclusive agreement where one party grants to another party the right to use their property. In this instance the parties are the Council, Catholic Education South Australia and the property being referred to is community land. Shared use is only considered by Council when there is a beneficial outcome for the community in doing so.

The Shared Use Agreement only allows school access to a part of the sportsground in school hours. This proposal would allow community access to the said land outside school hours, maximising the space’s use, sharing operating costs and to support community connections.

No. Council is seeking the views of the community prior to considering any information about a shared arrangement, or making any potential decision about the shared use of the land.

The term is currently being negotiated and is intended to be 42 years. A council is required to consult with the community if the agreement is intended for a term greater than 5 years but no more than 42 years as per Section 202 of the Local Government Act 1999.

Through the community engagement process, Council seeks community input on the CLMP and Shared Use Agreement. Engagement is open for 28 days, under Council’s Community Engagement Policy. Community can consider the information and provide feedback or a submission on the term, location and use of the land. This information is all contained in the public consultation materials.

Public notice of the engagement will be provided in The Advertiser and posted on Council’s Engagement Hub and website to ensure our community is informed about their opportunity to share their views or make a submission. Hard copies of all relevant documents and forms to submit feedback will be available at Customer Contact locations at Playford Civic Centre and Stretton Centre.

Submit your feedback online, in person, by email, or by mail:

• Online: Submit via the survey link on this page • In person:
• Drop off forms at:
  • Playford Civic Centre, 10 Playford Boulevard, Elizabeth
  • Stretton Centre, 307 Peachey Road, Munno Para
• By email: Send to connected@playford.sa.gov.au 
• By mail: Address to Community Engagement, Reply Paid, 12 Bishopstone Road, Davoren Park, SA 5113

For questions, contact us at 8256 0333 or email connected@playford.sa.gov.au 

At the conclusion of the consultation period, the feedback from the community will be collated and analysed, and shared back with the Council and community via a What We Heard Report. Council will consider this information prior to making a decision about the land, its classification under the CLMP, the term of any agreement for the use of land and the Shared Use Agreement arrangements.

Any questions about this process can be submitted via email connected@playford.sa.gov.au or 8256 0333.