Mt Barker District Hall Development Application Place of Christian Worship
We are a local Christian congregation seeking approval for a modest place of worship at 224 Bald Hills Road, Mount Barker.
Our congregation has been part of the Adelaide Hills community for more than 20 years. After an extensive search involving more than 55 potential properties, we believe this site provides the space, access, onsite parking and landscaping opportunities needed for a permanent local home.
The proposal has been designed as a low-profile, single-storey building set well back from Bald Hills Road, with rural-style fencing, local stone, extensive landscaping and all parking contained onsite.
- This is a Christian place of worship for an established local congregation.
- The traffic and parking impacts have been professionally assessed and can be managed onsite.
- The project is being improved through genuine local consultation.
- Existing trees, native vegetation and the watercourse are being treated seriously.
- The site will be improved as a whole, not simply occupied by a church and car park.
Located on the eastern side of the township, the proposal is designed to blend in with the local area and would include a one-storey building with local stone, rural style fencing and vegetation across the site.
A new hall for Bible readings and quiet prayer meetings
A modest church hall for quiet worship.
Our local congregation is proposing four short 30-minute gatherings on weekdays, with approximately 50-100 people. On weekends, we anticipate up to 50 local people will attend 6am Sunday worship, and a maximum of 550 for our 11am weekend meeting.
Our meetings do not involve loud music and the hall would not be available for hire, so we can guarantee that we will be quiet, courteous neighbours.
The artist impression (right) shows the entrance to the hall from Bald Hills Road. The one-storey building will be near the centre of the block and will not be dominant from the road.
A Gallery of Artist Impressions of the Proposed Development
Our Development Application
A Development Application has been lodged with Mount Barker District Council. The application includes retaining the existing structure in the northwest corner of the site and a modest hall and surface parking will be constructed in the south half of the lot.
- The church hall itself will be one-storey in height and will appear similar to other buildings in the area, with a canopy on two sides.
- The existing shed and vehicle entry point along Bald Hills Road will be retained. This will serve as storage for our charitable arm, the Rapid Relief Team.
- All access would be from Bald Hills Road to avoid directing traffic through smaller local streets. A rural-type fence and electronic gate with two-way vehicle driveway is positioned on Bald Hills Road, as well as pedestrian access and a footpath.
- The proposal includes 178 onsite parking spaces, meeting the applicable Planning Code requirement. The parking layout was refined following arboricultural advice, with several spaces removed to provide better protection for existing trees.
- Extensive landscaping has been designed by local specialists including planting across the property and screening.
- The existing house yard will also be landscaped to further enhance the site.
The Development Application will be shared by Council, allowing the public to review the details including specialist reports on how we will manage traffic, noise, and vegetation.
Traffic and parking
- All vehicles will enter and leave directly from Bald Hills Road. Traffic will not be directed through smaller residential streets.
- The proposal includes 178 onsite parking spaces, meeting the applicable Planning Code requirement. Parking will be contained within the property, with no reliance on roadside or neighbouring-street parking.
- Normal weekday gatherings are short and generally involve approximately 50 to 100 people, with attendees travelling mainly as family groups. The larger regional gathering would occur once on a weekend, outside weekday commuter periods, and would last approximately 90 minutes.
- Our current regional gathering is already held at Fletcher Road. The proposed Bald Hills Road site is closer to the freeway for many attendees, reducing the distance vehicles would travel further into the local road network.
- A specialist traffic consultant has assessed the development and determined that the proposed access arrangements can operate safely and that additional turning lanes or road upgrades are not required, and that a reduction in the speed limit is not required.
Our Rapid Relief Team
The existing shed in the north of the site will be retained and will serve as storage for our charitable arm, the Rapid Relief Team (RRT).
RRT has been part of the moments that have shaped the community - including supporting local charities, our local hospital and serving meals to first responders through the devastating 2019/20 Black Summer Fires in the Adelaide Hills, and again in the 2026 Deep Creek Bushfire.
When future natural disasters unfold in the region, the proposed carpark in the south of the site could be used as a staging area for people on the frontline.
Our church will be poised to coordinate volunteers and deploy resources from the site.
see what local activity's we have planned here in Mount Barker, or have supported in the past
“What we heard and what we are reviewing”
We have been meeting directly with neighbours, local residents, elected representatives and community organisations to explain the proposal, listen to concerns and identify practical improvements.
Recent feedback has highlighted opportunities to:
- Carpark lighting. These details will be finalised during the detailed design phase, and we expect to include waist height light posts to support navigation during periods of low light while minimising potential light spill.
- retain additional existing trees wherever construction conditions allow;
- increase the proportion of locally indigenous trees, shrubs, grasses and sedges;
- further improve the watercourse and surrounding habitat, and increase tree screening;
- strengthen sediment and erosion controls during construction;
- investigate the collection and propagation of seed from suitable native vegetation already present on the property; and
- explore community-focused uses for part of the northern area of the property.
These ideas are being reviewed with our environmental, landscaping and project advisers. We intend to share further details as the design develops.
Next steps
The Development Application was lodged with Mount Barker District Council in May 2026 and PBCC’s Community Engagement Team has been notifying local stakeholders.
Mount Barker District Council has placed Development Application 26017541 on public notification from 28 October to 17 November 2026.
Members of the community can review the application and make a representation through the PlanSA Development Application Register.
We also welcome questions and constructive feedback directly through the contact form below.
To view the public Development Register (Application ID 26017541) visit this link https://plan.sa.gov.au/development_application_register?#view-26017541-DAP
Should the application be approved, we will share more details about construction.
Please contact us with any questions.
About Us
The Plymouth Brethren Christian Church has a long history in the area, and have had a church building located in Mount Barker for over 20 years.
Established around 200 years ago, the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church (PBCC) was founded by John Nelson Darby, one of the most influential Protestant thinkers of the 19th century.
Today, we have just over 56,000 members in our Community. We live in regular homes on ordinary streets, in towns and cities across Australia, New Zealand, Europe, North and South America, the Caribbean and the United Kingdom.
Our members operate their own businesses, buy houses, shop locally, volunteer and do charitable work, pay taxes and employ many people from both within our Community and outside.
For more information about our church and way of life visit our website linked below:
See what others in the Mt Barker Community say about us
Check out the Frequently Asked Questions Page
Contact PBCC
Contact Mount Barker District Council
If you wish to contact council about the development contact them directly. Submissions will be able to made through the SA Planning Website during the public notification period.
To view the public Development Register (Application ID 26017541) visit this link https://plan.sa.gov.au/development_application_register?#view-26017541-DAP
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