Mount Barker Courier - 25 June 2025
Council in-fighting & global wars — what this week’s Courier reveals and avoids
Signal Check
It’s telling to see what made the front page this week — and what didn’t. Between ratepayer-funded bike races, freeway upgrades, and council dysfunction spilling into Parliament, the Courier offers more than headlines. It offers a glimpse into how local governance, planning, and priorities are being framed — and, at times, quietly reframed.
This week’s edition reads like a case study in top-down decisions, selective scrutiny, and the cost of internal political games. Let’s strip the varnish and decode what’s really going on.
Council Claims
Page 1 & 3: A prominent front-page headline points to serious grievances aired in Parliament by a former Adelaide Hills Councillor. The allegations involve misuse of council processes and retaliation for dissent. The Courier outlines claims of a "toxic" environment and lack of proper governance.
While the story itself does a fair job of summarising the claims, there’s still no broader reflection on what this means for public trust in local government. Dysfunction at council level isn’t new — but when it reaches the floor of Parliament, the media ought to dig deeper. Where's the follow-up? Where's the editorial pressure on those still in power?
Where’s the deeper investigation into the sidelining of Adelaide Hills Council Mayor Jan-Clair Wisdom and the use of significant council resources on legal manoeuvring to enforce confidentiality and prevent details of these situations leaking to the public??
Tour Comeback
Page 1 & 5: The Tour Down Under will return to the Hills in 2025, with the Adelaide Hills Council allocating $82,000 of ratepayer money to support it. Council leaders say it's a chance to "showcase the region" and stimulate economic activity.
The commentary in the Opinion section adds more context. If the Adelaide Hills Council wasn’t wasting so many resources on internal in-fighting, then finding funding community projects like this wouldn’t be such a stretch.
It also raises questions about priorities. When basic infrastructure is struggling and residents are facing rising rates, is what ratepayers want? While I can't answer specifically, it wouldn't be a stretch to say that ratepayers don't want their funds wasted on lawyers.
Interchange Works
Page 1 Inset: There’s a brief note on the contractors being selected for upgrades to the Verdun and Mount Barker freeway interchanges. It's buried on the front page but expanded later in the paper. It's positive to see these projects gaining momentum. Given the explosive past, present and future growth of Mount Barker the interchange upgrades can't come soon enough.
Your View
Page 6
Comic Relief: A clever cartoon this week, but the headline deserves more than a chuckle. 'US Goes Bananas' might be a gag, but the real story beneath is no joke. Strategic bombing of Iranian nuclear sites is an escalation with global consequences. The Courier’s framing hides the gravity behind B1 and B2 pyjamas. While we laugh, the world edges closer to another conflict—one Australians will be expected to support without question or scrutiny. We can only hope the negotiated ceasefire claims are real.
Death by degree: A letter from yours truly. Click the button below to read the full version on the Ground Control website.
Not warming: G. Inkster’s letter stands out as a rare example of historical perspective and calm logic in a debate often ruled by fear. He reminds readers that climate has always shifted—long before SUVs and CO₂ targets. The selective use of 1850 as a benchmark is never questioned, nor is the political convenience of a 1.5°C “crisis threshold”.
More people are waking up to the fact that the climate narrative is now a vehicle for power, profit, and policy overreach. And as Inkster rightly points out, the real sting isn’t the weather—it’s the insurance premiums, taxes, and regulation that flow from the hysteria.
Clear Mr Inkster understands what's going on. Well challenged sir.
Strathalbyn Planning Overlay
Page 14: The Alexandrina Council has given conditional support to the State Government’s push for co-located housing in Strathalbyn. The language is softened with talk of ‘test cases’, ‘ambience’, and ‘creative ways’ to fix the housing crisis—yet the implications are serious.
While co-located housing could certainly form part of the solution for housing crisis it can’t be consider in isolation to the natural outcomes of increased density without infrastructure upgrades.
Control Tower
This is my read on the static. If yours differs, I’d love to hear it.
Same frequency next week.
Seen In Print
A condensed version of my letter Death by degree was included on Page 6. Here’s how it ran in print:
Disclaimer:
All views expressed are the personal views of Darren Kelly. They are independent of any official role or organisation and reflect an ongoing commitment to open discussion and democratic integrity.