Mount Barker school land grab sparks petition to save Wok The Duck

The Adelaide Hills community has wrapped its arms around a family restaurant in the firing line as the state government compulsorily acquires its land for a new school.

Wok The Duck owner David Keir said “thousands and thousands” of signatures on a petition asking the government to reconsider its location for a new preschool and primary school in Mount Barker.

Mr Keir said his family were blindsided by a phone call from the Department for Infrastructure and Transport last week, informing his family his restaurant would make way for the school.

A day later, on Thursday last week, Education Minister Lucy Hood confirmed the site of the $61.1m primary school and preschool, which is due to open in 2030.

The business owners are just a year into a 10-year lease at the site owned by Aston Hills developer Lanser.

Mr Keir told FIVEAA breakfast on Monday morning he would do everything he could to stop the new school taking over his business and said the community support had been overwhelming.

“The petition’s gone crazy, we’ve had thousands and thousands just through our shop alone and we put the petition up as a PDF so people can download,” he said.

“People are contacting us from the UK wanting to sign a petition (after) reading our story and not liking it.

“The state government thinks they can just bully us and throw us out on the street.”

Lanser also said it was blindsided by the department’s decision to acquire the site and Mr Keir thanked the developer for its support.

“They are backing us 100 per cent and they’re going to work with us … they’ve been helping us out in our business, getting their hands dirty, jumping on cleaning cutlery and everything,” he said.

“They’ve been absolutely amazing, we want them to still be our landlord.”

Local independent MP Kavel Matt Schultz said he had requested an urgent meeting with the minister to discuss alternate locations.

“We know that there are other sites in close proximity to this one, that appear equally suitable and no require the cafe to close or relocate,” Mr Schultz said.

“I am hopeful of a win-win outcome for everyone – there is space and opportunity for both the new school and preschool to coexist without the need for the local family business to relocate.”

The school, first announced in 2024, will cater for 350 students and be built in Mount Barker’s southeast near the Aston Hills development, off Heysen Boulevard and Aston Parade, within walking distance of The Summit oval.

Last week, Mr Keir – who runs the Thai fusion restaurant with his daughter Ebony Moyle and her husband Dan Moyle – told The Advertiser establishing the business had been a major personal and financial commitment.

“We’ve spent a long time working to build, to get into a business, to have a family business, which we’ve invested a lot of time and money,” he said.

“Ebony and Daniel sold their family home to be here, to invest in there, to take the risk, to create a beautiful restaurant cafe in the beautiful Adelaide Hills for the community to come together.

While the family says it supports the need for a new school in the fast-growing area, Mr Keir believes the chosen location is the wrong one.

“It’s quite disheartening to think that they’ve chosen here. I’m no civil engineer, but that’s moronic,” he said.

“We’re all for a school in this area. There’s lots of locations that we know that would be better suited for not congesting, for infrastructure, not destroying a small business, and not destroying nature.

Lanser sent a letter to residents on Monday and said it was blindsided by the department’s decision to acquire land within the Aston Hills development.

“We were therefore deeply disappointed to learn, following more than two years without communication from the department, that a compulsory acquisition process had commenced for a site that had never previously been discussed with us,” the letter said.

“The acquisition was pursued without notice or consultation, despite our longstanding engagement with the department and our efforts to identify suitable alternative sites.”

According to Lanser, the site had approved planning for 100-150 homes and there were more suitable sites for the school that had not been adequately assessed by the government.

“We believe this acquisition is not in the best interest of Aston Hills and the broader Mount Barker community.”

Education Minister Lucy Hood said her department would work closely with Wok the Duck to support its relocation over the next 18 months.

“A dedicated case manager will meet with Mr Keir early next week to outline help available and next steps,” Ms Hood said.

Ms Hood said the Department of Education and Department of Infrastructure and Transport considered 16 sites during extensive evaluations of the area.

“The location identified is close to essential infrastructure and services, meets transport and parking requirements and has pedestrian and cycling links to improve community access,” Ms Hood said.

“Importantly, the 5.5ha site provides the capacity for future enrolment growth at the school.”