It's no secret that the biggest threat to the Adelaide Park Lands is the South Australian Government.
And the current South Australian Government has targeted and built over more Park Lands per year than any of its predecessors for the past 180 years.
If you doubt this, have a look at our Park Lands 'alienations' picture gallery and see how many of these buildings were constructed very recently or are still being constructed, on State Government orders.
One of the few protections against the State Government's ravages is the Adelaide Park Lands Authority. Its role includes to provide comments and advice to the City Council and the "Minister for the City of Adelaide" about "development, heritage and management" issues in the Park Lands. It is required, by law, to "undertake or support ... activities that will protect or enhance the Adelaide Park Lands".
Recently the Authority has raised concerns about the State Government's:
O-Bahn through Rymill Park
new High School on Frome Park (where construction is about to start); and
its plans to put 1,080 private apartments on the old RAH Park Lands site.
Now, it seems, the Minister is sick and tired of getting these sort of messages. He wants, he says, the Park Lands Authority to have "enhanced capacity for dialogue with the State Government."
Accordingly, he has sacked three independent members of the Authority and replaced them with three employees from the Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure. He has also sacked APPA's vice-president Emeritus Professor Damien Mugavin - all four of them after only 10 months as Authority members.
The Lord Mayor Martin Haese describes these changes as "a very concerning approach". The (Liberal) member for Adelaide, Rachel Sanderson, describes it as "a mockery of the Authority's independence"
The Minister shows no sign of wanting to get independent advice. His Park Lands track record, over the past few years, indicates that he has no regard for the Authority's Park Lands Management Strategy and will continue to pursue whatever he wants on the Park Lands.
Spare a thought for the new Authority members. Will they give public advice to the Minister that he is jeopardising the one thing that makes Adelaide unique? Or will they fall into line behind their boss?
One way you can take action is to make a personal protest to the Minister. Feel free to copy and paste from the text above and send your message to Minister Rau through his web page: http://www.premier.sa.gov.au/index.php/ministers/john-rau-mp
CLAWING SOMETHING BACK FROM A 42-YEAR PRIVATISATION
From Mark Parnell's recent newsletter....
Adelaide City Council has been negotiating for some months with the South Australian Cricket Association (SACA) for a 42-year lease and licence over Park 25 (Narnungga), which is opposite the new Royal Adelaide Hospital on Port Road in the West Park Lands.
Because the lease is for such a long time, it had to be tabled in Parliament. Thanks to the vigilance of the Adelaide Park Lands Preservation Association, the Greens were able to stop the lease being signed until we could negotiate with SACA and Adelaide City Council for a better result for other public users of our Park Lands.
Following a meeting and subsequent negotiations with the Lord Mayor and CEO of SACA, we achieved:
Guaranteed public access to new toilets in SACA’s new pavilion;
Assurances of ongoing public access to the ovals when not being used for sport;
New signage to advise the public of their access rights; and
Assurances that the new SACA pavilion to be built on Park Lands would be used only for sport-related activities and not become a commercial venue.
This is a good result and I’m proud to have been able to help in securing a better deal for the South Australian public. The Park Lands are a priceless public asset for the enjoyment and benefit of all. It’s great that organised sporting clubs can use these public parks, but as we know, the ongoing protection of Adelaide’s precious Park Lands requires eternal vigilance.
SACA's three-storey building now approved for Narnungga (Park 25) but subject to the safeguards described by Mark Parnell above.
HOPES LIFTED FOR FREEING VICTORIA PARK
Hopes have been raised that the annual 5-month motor sport invasion of Victoria Park/ Pakapakanthi (Park 16) might be nearing the end of its era.
Construction is under way on a new 7.7km motor racing circuit at Tailem Bend. The new circuit is intended to be suitable for the same V8 supercars that annually take over Adelaide's eastern Park Lands.
And recently, the Sports Minister Leon Bignell admitted that visitor numbers to Adelaide for this annual event aren't what they've been touted after all.
Although the State Government likes to tout the 'overall attendance' figures (which in 2016 were an impressive 263,000) the reality is that interstate visitor numbers this year were only 13,500.
APPA is not averse to motor racing. However we are not keen to see so much of the Park Lands taken away for so long every year, for what is at best a four-day festival. Tailem Bend seems to us to be a much more appropriate location for this event, so that the Adelaide Park Lands can be enjoyed by all the public (not just paying customers) all year round.
A year in the life of Victoria Park. The five-month takeover for a four-day event
WHAT'S ON IN THE PARK LANDS OVER CHRISTMAS - NEW YEAR
There are always events scheduled in the Park Lands, many of them free, and there are always opportunities to explore the Park Lands on your own, or with friends or family. Take a look at our picture gallery for hints about interesting spots to visit.
Some things you might like to try over coming days or weeks include:
"Forkmas" Friday Dec 16, 2016; 5-9pm Victoria Square/Tarntanyangga Food trucks, craft beer, wine and cider, some awesome tunes, a range of activities for the kids and a massive water balloon fight in the fountain! Also collecting Xmas gifts for kids donated to the Smith Family charity.
How do you achieve DOUBLE the health and happiness benefits from just one activity? Combine YOGA with PARK LANDS! - See more at: http://www.adelaideparklands.com.au/things-to-do/the-5-things/article/5-best-places-for-yoga-in-the-park-lands#sthash.NeidsXp1.dpuf
Do you notice how you feel when you spend time in a park or garden, surrounded by nature’s shapes and colours? That calming and revitalising feeling that seeps through your body has immense benefits to your health. Try one or more of these five top places for yoga in the Park Lands.
"Ride With Keith" every Wednesday 9am to 11am A weekly bike ride for cyclists of any ability around the Park Lands and river bike paths of Adelaide. Pace is leisurely and open to all. Coffee and socialising at he conclusion of every ride and hosted by Adelaide icon, Keith Conlon.
Boxing Day Cup - Narnungga (Park 25) off Port Rd A "revered match-up" between Musicians and Hospitality workers. Both work ungodly hours for very little money, and they do it all for our entertainment. The Boxing Day Cup pits the two of them against each other in a 20/20 cricket match that is, in essence, for our entertainment too.
New Years Eve Party. Elder Park, Tarntanya Wama (Park 26) Live music, fabulous food, children’s entertainment and of course, spectacular fireworks.. The historic Rotunda will be bathed in light and providing a focal point for the live music. The night sky will light up with two rounds of show-stopping fireworks.
HERE WE GO AGAIN - MORE & MORE SPORTS 'FUNCTION CENTRES'?
Hardly a week goes by without some organisation or other announcing that it wants to erect a new (usually large) building on YOUR Park Lands, and lock it up to exclude the public.
APPA has no objection to sports facilities on Park Lands. But usually the proposed "sports facilities" are supplemented with private training rooms, kitchen, bar facilities, meeting rooms, equipment storage rooms, etc. This often amounts to privatisation of previously public land.
Details of three of these recent proposals were outlined in last month's e-Gazette here.
The City Council on 29 November voted to bypass its own Park Lands Authority, and commence direct talks with neighbouring Prospect Council and the State Government on how to "upgrade" the northern Park Lands. The context includes what is currently an informal proposal for a "partnership with an existing Prospect licencee" i.e. an apparent reference to Blackfriars Priory School.
THE ATTACK ON PARK 11 - PREMATURE FENCING ON SITE
Even while the relentless desecration of Rymill Park continues, the newest State Government Park Lands construction site has now been fenced off, even though there's no approval for the proposed works depot alongside.
All of the buildings along Frome Road have been built on what was once part of the Adelaide Park Lands. (i.e. on Park 11 to the east of Frome Rd, and on Park 12 to the west). Generation after generation, land has been lost to the schools and universities, the RAH, associated medical facilities, and of course to car parking. Several times, new larger buildings have been placed on Park Lands where there were earlier, smaller buildings. Only some small patches of green space between the old University medical school and the Zoo have been left to remind us of what we have previously lost.
Now one more of those remaining relatively small spaces has been fenced off prior to the construction of hat's promoted as being a massive new seven-storey building, adjacent to the former UniSA Reid building.
The problem is, the State Government doesn't have control of the land that it would need for a works depot. It needs a City Council "licence" over more of Park 11 (see diagram below) for two years, in order to actually commence construction.
The City Council is obliged to seek public feedback on this proposal and has opened a very short window of opportunity (only until 5pm this Sunday, 18 December) to receive your views. http://yoursay.adelaidecitycouncil.com/new-city-high
The areas marked in orange represent the part of Tainmuntilla (Park 11) fronting Frome Road that the State Government intends to cover with a new 7-storey building.
The area in purple represents the two-year temporary works compound, also on Park 11, which is subject to public consultation with Adelaide City Council (ending this Sunday 18th Dec at 5pm).
A 4th COMMUNITY GARDEN? A HELIPAD?
Recent ideas floated for the Park Lands (but not confirmed or approved) include:
A 'social enterprise' community garden?
There are already three community gardens in the Adelaide Park Lands, operating on a not-for-profit basis.
The Walyu Yarta community garden to the south of Veale Gardens is operated by the City’s south-west community
A community garden off Park Terrace in Bonython Park is operated by residents from North Adelaide and Bowden.
The Roma Mitchell Garden to the rear of the Adelaide Gaol is operated by the Adelaide DayCentre.
Now, Central Queensland University (Adelaide campus) has won the support of the Park Lands Authority for a new garden in Mirnu Wirra (Park 21W) just off Greenhill Rd, near the corner of Goodwood Rd. The long, thin section of land designated for this 'social enterprise' is 120 metres long by 10 metres wide. It is an old bitumen track created many years ago to provide access to temporary Park Lands car parking sites during the Royal Adelaide Show. The idea is to provide employment for up to a dozen 'work-for-the-dole' clients, who would grow fruit, vegetables, herbs and flowers for sale top the general community, restaurants and markets, with excess donated to the charitable “Food for All” program.
The Authority has supported the concept "in principle" subject to community consultation in early 2017.
Proposed site (in red) of the Central Queensland University "social enterprise community garden"
A helipad?
This was a confidential item on the agenda for the Park Lands Authority on 17 November. Details are not available (because the item was confidential) but it is apparent that the City Council (or APLA) earlier this year called for expressions of interest, for commercial operators of a helipad. The meeting considered in confidence the expressions of interest received. Plainly the responses must have been of some relevance to the Park Lands.
If this idea takes off (pardon the pun) then there would be another area of Park Lands off-limits to the public and a great deal of noise in the chosen area, multiple times every day.
PHOTOS OF THE DAY - RECENT HIGHLIGHTS
From the top:
a) Little Athletics off South Tce at Kurangga (Park 20)
b) Video production in Veale Gardens, Walyu Yarta (Park 21)
c) Duck family on the River Torrens near VIctoria Drive, Karrawirra (Park 12) d) Flowers in the Botanic Gardens, Tainmuntilla (Park 11)
e) Bicycle commuting past Kingston Gardens off West Tce, Wirraninthi (Park 23)
The Park Lands 'photo of the day' series has been running since May 2014, and the collection of Park Lands photos now numbers close to 1,000. We maintain (and gradually grow) 37 separate albums for each one of our 30 Parks, six squares (and one album for 'Alienations'). To browse the photos follow the link below to 'Our photos on Flickr'.
