Kavel: A Masterclass in SA Labor Political Tactics
A warning from recent history — and why it matters heading into the 2026 election.
Those who fail to understand their history are destined to repeat it. What unfolded in Kavel over the past four years offers a clear lesson.
With the 2026 election approaching, it’s time to revisit that record — and ask whether the same political tactics are being deployed again.
Kavel is not just any electorate.
It is one of South Australia’s fastest-growing regions, spanning the Adelaide Hills from Mount Barker and Nairne through to Woodside and Lobethal.
Growth changes politics.
More residents.
More infrastructure demand.
More pressure on State funding.
Growth changes demographics. New estates bring younger families, first-home buyers, commuters and new arrivals which over time, can reshape the voting base. Once a growth seat shifts, it can be very difficult to shift back.
Now consider the infrastructure reality.
The Mount Barker area particularly, carries significant infrastructure baggage — a wastewater funding gap, and increasing traffic congestion due to lack of State planning and incomplete road infrastructure. These are structural issues requiring State funding and State action.
Many of these pressures stem from a significant land rezoning decision made in 2010 by a former Labor government.
Growth was driven at the State level through a 1,310-hectare land release while the planning and infrastructure required to support was overlooked.
Back then, Labor pledged $260 million for infrastructure however none was delivered. Adjusted for inflation, that figure would be significantly higher today.
And that is why political alignment becomes critical.
Kavel has always been a stable blue ribbon seat, but then something changed.
The Member: Dan Cregan MP
Four years ago, Kavel shifted — though you could be forgiven for not fully recognising it at the time, because the label never changed.
Dan Cregan was elected as a Liberal member in 2018. In 2020, he resigned from the party, moved to the crossbench as an independent, and was shortly thereafter appointed Speaker of the House.
Re-elected in 2022 as an independent, he later joined the Labor Government’s Cabinet in 2024 as Minister for Police, Emergency Services and Correctional Services.
That’s a significant shift. One with direct consequences.
When a previously Liberal, then independent member moves from the crossbench into the Speaker’s chair and then into the Labor Cabinet, alignment with government is no longer theoretical — it’s embedded.
At that point, the “independent” label under which Dan Cregan was elected became effectively meaningless and any leverage vanished.
The practical effect was that one of the state’s rapidly expanding electorates no longer had an opposition-style member applying sustained pressure to the sitting government, despite the significant infrastructure needs of the region.
In practice, a member closely aligned with the sitting Government cannot credibly apply sustained pressure to it.
The Mayor: David Leach
Likewise, in 2022, David Leach was elected Mayor of the Mount Barker District Council as a candidate presenting as independent.
During the Mayor’s term, no significant State-funded infrastructure improvements have been secured, and visible advocacy at the State level has been limited.
In fact, advocacy from the Council CEO and staff since the Mayor went on leave has been noticeably more visible and more effective than during the prior three years.
Now, three years into the term, the Mayor has taken leave and is running as the Labor candidate for Kavel. This shift directly invites reflection and scrutiny of alignment and advocacy over the previous three years.
Alignment without delivery has consequences.
With this level of representation in the region, should it really surprise anyone that Mount Barker’s infrastructure needs remain largely unresolved?
SA Labor’s Playbook
Mount Barker’s infrastructure backlog was never going to be solved in a single term.
What should have been visible early in the term was a coherent, publicly articulated plan. One backed with effective advocacy and tangible outcomes.
That clarity has not materialised.
The lack of tangible outcomes is precisely why Kavel matters politically, and why Labor has every incentive to secure it.
Labor would hardly want to lose their comfortable arrangement and have their feet held to the fire by a true independent or an opposing party.
If Labor forms government and holds Kavel, they can:
Align the local MP with the party governing the state
Control funding announcements and manage the timing and narrative of delivery
Align any meaningful commitments with election cycles to reinforce the cycle
Stage or drip-feed solutions to maintain political advantage
If Labor holds government but does not hold Kavel, the dynamic changes.
Every delay becomes ammunition.
Every funding gap becomes leverage.
Every infrastructure failure becomes a live accountability issue in a fast-growing electorate.
This is the strategic reality.
A fast-growing seat with unresolved infrastructure is politically powerful.
In independent or opposition hands, it applies pressure.
In government-aligned hands, it becomes manageable — protecting the status quo
Clearly, strong representation independent of the State Government is best for the region and for those directly affected by the unresolved infrastructure issues.
The Danger Zone
Now it’s time to ask the obvious questions.
Q: Is the Labor party/candidate discussing the hard issues around wastewater and road infrastructure?
A: No.
Q: Is the Labor party/candidate putting firm, structural funding commitments on the table?
A: No.
This tells the real story.
Instead, Labor is offering distractions and list padding. A 24x7 pharmacy in the region may be nice to have, but it avoids addressing the serious infrastructure issues and funding gap that is really needed.
This also raises an interesting side question. Why is the State Government intervening in what is fundamentally a private sector supply and demand issue, using taxpayer funds to subsidise a 24x7 pharmacy?
Public trust was severely strained when SA Labor overrode both community and council concerns when it proceeded with the 2010 land release without appropriate planning and infrastructure. Now the focus appears to be shifting away from accountability for the long-term consequences of that decision.
At the end of the day, it’s about whether Kavel allows itself to be bought off with platitudes, or becomes a region that demands real commitments and real solutions.
This standard applies to every candidate seeking to represent Kavel. Alignment and leverage matter — regardless of party label.
Be mindful, and be purposeful with your vote.
The outcome of this election will shape the region for decades to come.
A Note on Perspective
If you’ve stumbled across this post on social media or had it shared with you, you may wonder who I am.
I’m an Adelaide Hills dweller, and until recently, have been mostly a political observer. But that changed in December 2025 when I was elected as a Councillor on Mount Barker District Council to represent the township of Hahndorf and broader South Ward.
While I have not specifically mentioned the infrastructure needs of South Ward in this post, they are very much front of mind. State funding gaps have created a council that is significantly under-resourced in addressing broader state-driven shortfalls. Resolving those gaps would naturally free up resources that would benefit South Ward. Similarly to Mount Barker itself, South Ward infrastructure issues also require significant State investment.
Signal Boost
Elections are decided by those who engage, not those who scroll past.
If this matters to you, make it visible.
Disclaimer:
All views expressed are the personal views of Darren Kelly and are offered in the spirit of open discussion and democratic accountability. They are independent of any official role or organisation.