#Article : Adelaide's new West

[Ben]

Clipsal 'should go west'

Article from: AAP

MATT WILLIAMS
October 16, 2007 02:15am
AN all-new Clipsal 500 racing circuit is the centrepiece of a bold plan to develop a major sport and public events precinct around the city's western parklands.

The independent Civic Trust is pushing for major works in the city's neglected west as an alternative to the State Government's Victoria Park redevelopment and without building on the parklands themselves.

Its blueprint also calls for the Royal Adelaide Hospital to be retained and for the scrapping of the railyards plan for the new Marjorie Jackson-Nelson Hospital, in favour of a new health precinct on the site of the Keswick barracks.

It puts West Tce at the centre of a modernising project that would include a parking station to minimise CBD traffic, an integrated transport hub of interstate and suburban rail, light rail and buses at Keswick, and a seadragon-shaped racetrack for the Clipsal 500 between West Tce and Mile End South.

The motor racing facilities would also be used for other major sporting events, such as a future Commonwealth Games. Permanent and temporary grandstands would be constructed around the track.

The health precinct would include community health facilities, health education and preventive medicine.

Detailing the plans to The Advertiser, trust chairman Darian Hiles said it would make Adelaide "primarily a pedestrian city with emphasis on walkways, bicycle paths and light public transport. "This plan will make Adelaide more people-friendly, (provide) easy access by pedestrians to all facilities, accessible and frequent light public transport, cycle hire, major and safe thoroughfares for pedestrians and cyclists, and much more," he said.

Mr Hiles believes the plan would help any future bid for Adelaide to host the Commonwealth Games.

Developing the western side of the city would enhance the Mile End South area, resulting in opportunities for investment in sports and health-related facilities and low-cost accommodation. "Thus, this development would become the catalyst for the overall redevelopment of the western suburbs," Mr Hiles said.

The trust is still developing its blueprint, but plans to submit the final version to state and local authorities.

The State Government says it will welcome any "sensible ideas" for redevelopment of the city's west.

Other key elements of the plan are:

HARD-SURFACED sports areas above the Keswick railyards.

A PEDESTRIAN and cycling overpass to link the Royal Adelaide Showgrounds, the community health facilities complex, the car racetrack, Santos Stadium and parklands.

ELLIS Park, between Sir Donald Bradman Drive and Adelaide High School, to become Adelaide's major gathering point for major public events.

Mr Hiles said the estimated cost of a new racetrack was $10 million, the main grandstand and corporate area was $30 million, the parking station was $35 million and the transport hub about $45 million.

"This plan is only the first . . . future subjects will include biodiversity, our food sources, governance and strategies to focus the economy on human benefits as the bottom line, for example, wellbeing." he said.

A spokesman for Infrastructure and Transport Minister Pat Conlon said the Government had "made our desire very clear to see major investment in the west end of the city".

[Ben]

Some points are very good and would help to revitalise the western suburbs.

I like the fact theat they are talking about Commonwealth Games bids too. I always thought Santos Stadium should be converted into Adelaide's "Telstra Dome". Perfect Location.

[Pants]

I don't think the footprint for Santos Stadium is big enough for a Telstra Dome conversion mate.

I've thought about having a sporting precinct out there too with a stadium big enough to make AAMI redundant, but I think a much better spot for it is over the railway yards. It's not that far in terms of distance, but an event could come and go at Mile End without the CBD noticing and seeing much benefit. Most people would just bring their car in and take off after the event thinking that the city's too far to walk to or any tram too inconvenient or full to wait for.

A sporting precinct over the railway yards, coupled with something of intererst actually being done with Riverbank would do more to encourage people to first stay in that area and then move towards the middle of the city. The fact that all train lines and the tram go directly there and most city bound buses go close, would also enougrage public transport use.

For me, it's all about making the city centre a more vibrant place. I'd prefer the Marj to be built out at Keswick and a fed. square and docklands like development over the railway yards tbh.

[tstaylor]

Great we need another plan to de-rail the development planned for vic park

[rhino]

Great we need another plan to de-rail the development planned for vic park

Yes, and the Elliss Park plan will derail the plans for Victoria Square to become the meeting place of choice

[Ben]

Great we need another plan to de-rail the development planned for vic park

Yes, and the Elliss Park plan will derail the plans for Victoria Square to become the meeting place of choice

I don't think so, they are different.

For example if Skyshow was to ever be brought part Ellis Park would be better then Bonython Park as it's closer to the city. You could not hold skyshow in Victoria Sqaure but if they did that would be awesome.

[urban]

These sort of options should have been explored by the State Govt before the Vic Pk proposal was made.

[metalMONSTER]

From the horses mouth, the Trust put these ideas together with the intent to create public debate. Items like these will never go ahead.

[Matt]

I'm with you Pants.
Would love a Fed Square type set up/Docklands stadium over the railyards, it's the perfect spot.

[Shuz]

We all know what the answer is to these problems surrounding stadium sites, squares and motor racing. I'm really sick and tired of hearing outlandish proposals that will never see the day of light and possess little benefit to their respective locations. This is just another example, of a rubbished idea which must I say seems rather similar to the one the 2 architects/urban planners put forth about 3 months ago.

[Pants]

I'm with you Pants.
Would love a Fed Square type set up/Docklands stadium over the railyards, it's the perfect spot.

Yeah, the city's in this really enviable position of having a huge parcel of essentially vacant land within walking distance of the centre of town, but too far away for commercial towers - it's perfect for a sporting/entertainment/retail/residential precinct with links to the river torrens, which should be better utilised.

I understand that people's lives are paramount and can see sense in arguments that underdevelopment should not be a consideration when determining where the Marj should go, but if feesible, Keswick would be a better place for a hospital anyway and my conscience aside, it would be a massive waste of the railyards land to put it there.

[talrok]

Moving the Race Track??? Is this farking bloke serious .. what the fark?? Its a once a year event and it is perfectly suited to where it is and has a long running tradition where it is ... why the hell move the race anywhere other then interstate where it will probably go one day anyway!! If it aint broke ..

The west is best for a new stadium, or redevelop Santos to a world class stadium (ie. not having a Stratco Stlye tin verandah as shelter on one side .. what a joke). Its near rail so people from the south and north can get to the ground without having to drive and catch stoopid footy express buses like they do for AAMI! Or above the rail yard .. same thing. Its near major transport and thats what you want. Easy access in and out!!

We don't need race tracks or major football ovals etc. in the suburbs. Just another stoopid fool trying to spread this city out as far as possible from the cbd so that we get an even greater strain on public transport and pollution!!!

Eg. The Velodrome .. world class, but they lump it 15kms out of city .. tell me how does a tourist get to an event there without spending the best part of a day at the transport info centre scrathing their heads .. catch which bus did you say??!!! These kinds of things are perfect for Western or Southern parts of our already too prominent arid parklands!! You can still have these facilities and maintain the beauty of parklands .. infact, I bet you the parklands and greenery around such structures would be far better looking and far better maintained then currently!!! Plus it would get far more use then currently!!

[Paulns]

I've thought about having a sporting precinct out there too with a stadium big enough to make AAMI redundant, but I think a much better spot for it is over the railway yards. It's not that far in terms of distance, but an event could come and go at Mile End without the CBD noticing and seeing much benefit. Most people would just bring their car in and take off after the event thinking that the city's too far to walk to or any tram too inconvenient or full to wait for.

A sporting precinct over the railway yards, coupled with something of intererst actually being done with Riverbank would do more to encourage people to first stay in that area and then move towards the middle of the city. The fact that all train lines and the tram go directly there and most city bound buses go close, would also enougrage public transport use.

For me, it's all about making the city centre a more vibrant place. I'd prefer the Marj to be built out at Keswick and a fed. square and docklands like development over the railway yards tbh.

Couldn't agree more!!!!!
This idea of having a world class sporting ground/entertainment facility on the door step to the city is already proven to work in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne, Why not in ADELAIDE???? ?We Should be emulating them... Because it works!!!!
I dream of the day if they ever do this, because I believe it would be the best thing that could ever happen to Adelaide..
The railway yards would definently be the best option and location for a new stadium which would in some ways benefit people from all parts of Adelaide. (ie the currant, rail, tram, taxi, bus and numerous car parking options in the city ALREADY).
With Adelaide's continual urban sprawl in the North and South, Football Park in West Lakes would be far better off sold on as a new housing development and the money used to help fund this new facility??

[Dave_The_Planner]

It was interesting to see "sports-fields" arrowed across the current West Terrace cemetery site! Rather insensitive.

I think the Santos stadium site together with the railway corridor provide ample room to house a multi-purpose sports stadium. It could simply be built over the top of the existing railway corridor and part of the Santos site, with the remainder used for below and above ground parking. A train station could be built under the stadium for access/egress.

But this is all just pie-in-the-sky stuff that will probably never happen. For another 50,000 seat stadium to be built in Adelaide, it will need the support of the SANFL which is highly unlikely in the near future. Can't see the race track being moved either - the State Government is hell bent on progressing Vic Park.

Bah humbug...

[Brando]

Interesting letter in today's Tiser

'Grand plan' snags

The proposal by Civic trust chairman David Hiles to relocate the Grand Prix and other facilities west of the Mile End railway lines is an interesting bit of lateral thinking. It was enthusiastically supported by an Advertiser editorial urging the Adelaide City Council to get right behind the "Grand Plan".
However, I must ponit out that most of the major components shown on the Advertiser map are not in the ACC area. they are in West Torrens and this council has not been approached about it in anyway.
Otherwise, we would have pointed out that not only does Southern Cross Rail already have it's own plans for redeveloping the Keswick rail terminal, but the West Torrens council has before it "World Park 01" , a $90 million office development alongside the terminal.
That development, which has been reported in The Adevertiser, is where the southern section of the suggested Grand Prix circuit would be.
A bit of consultation with those already trying to promote urban renewal might have been useful.

John Trainer
Mayor, City of west Torrens , Hilton.