Suburb of North Adelaide 'holds city to ransom', Theo Maras says The view of Adelaide's CBD, as seen from North Adelaide. DEVELOPER Theo Maras says the progress of Adelaide's central business district is being "held to ransom" by North Adelaide residents and has demanded the City Council abolish its ward system to solve the problem. Weighing into the debate on the council's representation review, Mr Maras says wards put too much focus on "local parish pump issues" instead of the city's role as the "economic and cultural powerhouse of the state." "After living in North Adelaide for 30 years I am very much experienced in and part of what's happening in North Adelaide, (but) the CBD should not be governed by North Adelaide," Mr Maras said. You need a council of people looking at the interests of the whole city. Then they are not held to ransom by local interest groups around Tynte Street. After multiple bouts of consultation and butting heads with the Electoral Commissioner for wanting too many representatives, the council is this week expected to finalise a four-ward model with one member per ward, plus six whole council representatives and a lord mayor. Mr Maras said protracted conflicts involving North Adelaide and CBD resident groups over development and heritage issues had "stunted" population growth. It's about traffic management, how the city opens and closes, what hours are kept - issues that do come in conflict with a residential group that says 'I'm in, everything else out'. That's not a city. However, Mr Maras did not support axing North Adelaide from the council area, saying if the boundary was changed it should be to create a much larger authority covering all inner suburban districts. Lord Mayor Stephen Yarwood said the proposed model struck a balance between representing resident, business and statewide interests. "At the moment we have five councillors who are residents of North Adelaide and I can't see anyone holding back the interests of the state," he said. North Adelaide Society chairman Ed Briedis said wards were needed to ensure local representation. However, he opposed the four-ward model because it lumped North Adelaide's cathedral precinct with the West End in one ward. "One is sinful, one is not," he said. The society instead wants a variation of the current three-ward system. The council this month voted to lobby the State Government to make voting compulsory in city elections, but not those in the suburbs. Attorney-General John Rau said the government had no formal positions on changes to city governance. Deputy Opposition Leader Vickie Chapman said the government's "culture of disrespect, of insults and of threats" toward the council had to stop. She said the Liberal Party supported voluntary voting but if North Adelaide was ever axed from the council area, there would be a case to extend voting rights for the CBD statewide because it was "the headquarters of the state."