Can We Preserve the Parklands Under Threat of Development

Can We Preserve the Parklands Under Threat of Development

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Posted 2013-06-30 by Dave Walshfollow
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Desperate Days
In the dark desperate days of the 1990's after the State Bank collapsed, the Liberal government sold state assets quickly to dent our debt.

The entire government Information Technology infrastructure was given away to multinational company EDS in a long term contract that annihilated the local IT industry and those who depended upon it.

The Electricity Trust of SA assets were also sold off, handing control of our power generating infrastructure to private enterprise. Some say that we are paying dearly for that decision today.

While the financial position of the state today is not thought to be as severe, there are suggestions that we should cash in one of our few remaining assets - the parklands.



Why Are the Parklands There?
After Colonel Light was appointed Surveyor-General of South Australia he laid out the city design in 1837. Light's plans included surrounding the city with 1,700 acres (690 ha) of parklands.

In the nearly 200 years since the city design was implemented, the Adelaide City Council has carefully maintained the parklands, and has actively promoted their use by the public.

While in the early days some parklands were used for sheep grazing and the Bonython Park Billabong area was used as an abbatoir, many other areas were used for recreation. A stately avenue of English Elms planted in the 1860's in the South Parklands was popular as an attractive carriageway for citizens to promenade through.

The importance of the Adelaide Parklands was recognised in 2008 when they were added to the National Heritage List by Federal Environment Minister Garrett. At the time Environment Minister Jay Weatherill soothed the development lobby with this comment: It won't prevent, provide barriers to any sensible development.





Do We Still Need Parklands
It is not unusual to hear people pontificating that the parklands are empty. One notable example was when Adelaide Now (now The Advertiser again) moaned about the lack of people in the parklands at 7.47 on a weekday morning. Perhaps it was a ruse to promote absenteeism in the workplace?

The City of Adelaide spends millions of dollars every year maintaining the huge green spaces that surround the city. If the parklands were not required, massive savings could be achieved. Would it be possible to relocate the few sporting groups that still occupy odd corners of the parklands?

While clubs and sporting groups such as the SA Obedience Dog Club , the Western Districts Amateur Athletic Club, tennis, bowls and other clubs currently use the parklands, could they find an alternative home?





The Parklands Under Threat
The railways previously occupied much of the parklands now being used for the new Royal Adelaide Hospital site. Now the old hospital site is being considered for something more "productive" than returning them to green space as advocated by former Health Minister John Hill.

Always keen to promote our state's development in a manner approved by the Property Council, our premier recently had an inspired vision - a public competition to decide the future of the old hospital site.

The competition was instantly acclaimed (mainly by developers and architects) as enabling the public to participate in deciding the future of this portion of parklands. What wasn't revealed was the Design Brief - the restrictions that will decide what type of new developments may be proposed

There certainly does not appear to be a requirement that any proposal maintain the RAH site as publicly owned land. Former Integrated Design Commissioner Tim Horton (one of the competition judges) has already suggested that it would be suitable for upmarket accommodation .

In fact the official government site spruiking the Riverbank development talks about Mixed-use development with education, cultural, civic, residential, commercial and retail possibilities.



Parks vs Development
If one were to suggest that Central Park in New York should be cut in size to allow the construction of luxury apartments, there would be a massive outcry!

A proposal to carve into London's Hyde Park to build a shopping centre or run a motor race would be a national outrage.

There is an increasing recognition world wide of the importance of parks to our society and the environment. But it seems not to have reached South Australia yet.

Surprisingly few people have reacted yet in Adelaide about the proposal to hand over publicly owned park land to a developer for commercial use. Perhaps because it has been concealed by the miasmic illusion of a "public" competition?

But it will be a very popular move for developers, who will be quick to reward Weatherill when contributions are needed for the election next year.

Let's be clear about this. Once green space is lost, there is no going back. There is no chance of future governments buying back land for recreation in the CBD.

It's a little reminiscent of the rape of Glenelg, when residents and visitors lost the beachfront to - upmarket accommodation. Do you think the Glenelg skyline has been improved by the high rise development there?



So What do You Think?
Would you like to be able to step in to a Bunnings Superstore after visiting the Bicentennial Conservatory in the Botanical Gardens?

Perhaps you would enjoy cycling along the new Riverbank Precinct from the Bowden redevelopment to shop at #8206 ;">Louis Vuitton in the heritage listed Nurses' Home on Frome Road?

Is it acceptable for a desperate premier to give away state assets in order to improve his election chances? Are the glitzy futuristic flyovers in the redevelopment videos simply an attempt to conceal the poor state of our economy with distractions?

Or are you in favour of development at any price? Perhaps you are a city skyline crane counter?

Should we sell off all of our parklands for high rise development, and save on the need for electrifying more railways? And is the government telling us enough about what they plan - before they agree outcomes with their developer mates?

It seems that there is a significant divergence of opinion, even among professionals in the field. And of course the Adelaide Parklands Preservation Association has a completely different view.

Let us know by posting your comments!

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153505 - 2023-06-14 08:01:00

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