Liberal plan for world-class stadium entertainment precinct

[Ben]

From The Advertiser:

Liberal party plan for world-class stadium and Federal Square precinct in Adelaide

February 08, 2008 01:30pm

A VISION for Adelaide as a city of seaside villages, with a world-class sports stadium and a Federation Square-style precinct has been unveiled by the state Liberals.

As revealed exclusively in today’s Advertiser, control of Adelaide’s CBD and Parklands would be seized by the Liberals, under the 20-year master plan.

Launching the plan today, State Liberal Leader Hamilton-Smith said the CBD and parklands were vital to the business and community life of all South Australians and should not be the play thing of any particular council.

The plan also proposes a nationally significant sporting precinct would be built on the city’s western side, an inner and outer ring road and a series of seaside villages, he said.

The precinct could also include a world class stadium, in addition to, or as an alternative to West Lakes.

“West Lakes and a new stadium need to fit the needs of our city for the next 50 years. The plan brings together the work of several sub-committees and working groups within the Liberal Parliamentary team,” Mr Hamilton-Smith said.

“Our master plan for Adelaide is the most comprehensive direction statement for South Australia since the time of Sir Thomas Playford.”

“It covers responsibility for the CBD, parklands, roads and infrastructure, public transport, suburban heritage, seaside villages, and a commitment to turn the city west precinct into a world-class belt of parks, gardens and community use facilities.

Also under the plan, the proposed new “Marj” hospital, to be built on the old railyards adjacent to the North Tce-West Tce intersection, would be axed.

“South Australia does not need a massive, flat, wide hospital smack bang in the middle of the potentially magnificent City West Precinct,” Mr Hamilton-Smith said.

“The RAH site, alongside Adelaide University and the IMVS, is the best health precinct and it can be upgraded without major disruption and at a much lower cost.

“Not only is the new hospital a political folly, but its 38-year long-term financing model straps in yet to be born South Australians.

“They will be paying higher taxes to fund it until 2046.

“The plan for The Marj must be put to an election.”

I'm impressed to say the least. Well done for coming up with a plan.

[muzzamo]

most of it sounds good except for scrapping the marj. The claim that it would be cheaper to rebuild at this existing site with minimal disruption is nonsense.

[rhino]

most of it sounds good except for scrapping the marj. The claim that it would be cheaper to rebuild at this existing site with minimal disruption is nonsense.

Totally agree. Anyone who has worked at the RAH in the last 20 years while constant re-jigging has been going on will agree. Minimal disruption is a straight-out lie.

[Wayno]

did the Libs release any graphic images for their city west plans? a picture saves a 1000 words...

[Omicron]

Sounds good to me. As more details come to light it will be easier to pass judgement on the plan, but the very fact that one is to exist, and seeks to incorporate specific building and construction projects as part of a 20-year plan is a very promising start indeed.

I agree with MHS about how the railyard location would be wasted on a hospital; I doubt there would be 'minimal disruption' at the existing site if a total redevelopment were to take place, but I would like to see other sites investigated more closely. City West as a far more appealing entertainment and recreation precinct FTW.

[Edgar]

Yes, it all sounded good except the axing of The Marj

[frank1]

Finally the libs are listening to the public and coming up with a new stadium plan. I don't know why rann won't . If rann said he would make a new stadium at the rail site, he would be making all the right moves. I agree the marj should be built, but i think the clipsal site would be more suited.

[rhino]

I know everyone on here keeps saying we've got to have a plan, and the Rann Govt seems to be doing everything on a "fix it as it breaks" basis, but there are two parts to a plan - the other part is funding. I'll be very interested to hear where the funding is going to come from for MHS's plan. As usual he hasn't said. He's mentioned scrapping the Marj before, and already commited the saved funds twice, to two seperate projects (country hospitals and the rail system - each of which will need all the money saved by not building the Marj). Is he going to sell off more assets? Pump a bit more funds into the private education sector and scrap the 6 super schools? Keep the jails where they are instead of moving them out to Murray Bridge? Sell off the parklands that they want to take over? Sell Modbury Hospital again? Scrap the tram extensions? Make the Northern Expressway a flip-flop freeway like the Southern Expressway to save money? Scrap the Northern Expressway? Scale down the Desalination plant?

I realise the only two really costly things he's mentioned are public transport and a new stadium, (and a previous commitment to increase country hospitals), but I would like to know how he intends to fund them. I'm not for selling off assets or for any more outsourcing of public sector jobs.

[Will]

I know everyone on here keeps saying we've got to have a plan, and the Rann Govt seems to be doing everything on a "fix it as it breaks" basis, but there are two parts to a plan - the other part is funding. I'll be very interested to hear where the funding is going to come from for MHS's plan. As usual he hasn't said. He's mentioned scrapping the Marj before, and already commited the saved funds twice, to two seperate projects (country hospitals and the rail system - each of which will need all the money saved by not building the Marj). Is he going to sell off more assets? Pump a bit more funds into the private education sector and scrap the 6 super schools? Keep the jails where they are instead of moving them out to Murray Bridge? Sell off the parklands that they want to take over? Sell Modbury Hospital again? Scrap the tram extensions? Make the Northern Expressway a flip-flop freeway like the Southern Expressway to save money? Scrap the Northern Expressway? Scale down the Desalination plant?

I realise the only two really costly things he's mentioned are public transport and a new stadium, (and a previous commitment to increase country hospitals), but I would like to know how he intends to fund them. I'm not for selling off assets or for any more outsourcing of public sector jobs.

Very well said.

I think in this case, MHS knows he can't win the 2010 election, so he is just attempting to say controversial things to get him some media exposure. That is all. Because if he was serious about winning the upcoming state election he would outline how his government would fund such promises. And I am sure the people of this state will oppose the infamy of more privatizations, school closures and the closing of wards at public hospitals.

[frank1]

I don't really like the libs, but at least MHS is listening to the public. I like rann, but does anyone know why he is so committed to make the rail site a new hospital when most of the public like the idea of a new stadium?. It is like rann is ignoring the public. Is it that rann has future plans for a stadium he is not telling us? Already committed money to the new hospital? what?

[rhino]

I don't really like the libs, but at least MHS is listening to the public. I like rann, but does anyone know why he is so committed to make the rail site a new hospital when most of the public like the idea of a new stadium?. It is like rann is ignoring the public. Is it that rann has future plans for a stadium he is not telling us? Already committed money to the new hospital? what?

Firstly, we need a new hospital - the hospitals we currently have are stuggling to cope, and the RAH is almost at that stage now. We can't knock it down and rebuild it from sctratch, as the system is stretched for beds already. The new hospital site has to be central and easily reached by public transport. Most of the people on this forum are young and healthy, and probably won't use the Marj for the next 20 or 30 years, and would rather see a stadium there.

We don't need a new stadium at this stage, even though most of the people on this forum would like one.

Rann ignoring the public? Just because things don't always go the way the folks on SA would like them to go? How much of the public do you/we really represent? I mean, we all want to see the best things done for our state and our city, but we're looking at it mainly from the point of view of just one demographic. The government has to take all demographics into account and do what's best for the community overall. That's their job.

[AG]

Are people sure that MHS hasn't been trawling through Sensational-Adelaide for ideas? Some of those ideas sound very familiar.

[Will]

Are people sure that MHS hasn't been trawling through Sensational-Adelaide for ideas? Some of those ideas sound very familiar.

It would be a good idea if more people in positions of power in this state trawled this forum!

[frank1]

I don't really like the libs, but at least MHS is listening to the public. I like rann, but does anyone know why he is so committed to make the rail site a new hospital when most of the public like the idea of a new stadium?. It is like rann is ignoring the public. Is it that rann has future plans for a stadium he is not telling us? Already committed money to the new hospital? what?

Firstly, we need a new hospital - the hospitals we currently have are stuggling to cope, and the RAH is almost at that stage now. We can't knock it down and rebuild it from sctratch, as the system is stretched for beds already. The new hospital site has to be central and easily reached by public transport. Most of the people on this forum are young and healthy, and probably won't use the Marj for the next 20 or 30 years, and would rather see a stadium there.

We don't need a new stadium at this stage, even though most of the people on this forum would like one.

Rann ignoring the public? Just because things don't always go the way the folks on SA would like them to go? How much of the public do you/we really represent? I mean, we all want to see the best things done for our state and our city, but we're looking at it mainly from the point of view of just one demographic. The government has to take all demographics into account and do what's best for the community overall. That's their job.

That's why i said the clipsal site could be used for a new hospital. It is only like 5mins by train and still in central location. I am all for a new hospital and agree with u about the old one. I just think the rail site is too grand of a location to be wasted on a hospital. If not a stadium, then maybe a south bank type development that would make great use of the river front. I just think that it needs to be public space that attracts people to the river. Hospitals are depressing and don't attract people and at that site would be a waste of prime river front space so close to the city.

[Omicron]

I don't really like the libs, but at least MHS is listening to the public. I like rann, but does anyone know why he is so committed to make the rail site a new hospital when most of the public like the idea of a new stadium?. It is like rann is ignoring the public. Is it that rann has future plans for a stadium he is not telling us? Already committed money to the new hospital? what?

Firstly, we need a new hospital - the hospitals we currently have are stuggling to cope, and the RAH is almost at that stage now. We can't knock it down and rebuild it from sctratch, as the system is stretched for beds already. The new hospital site has to be central and easily reached by public transport. Most of the people on this forum are young and healthy, and probably won't use the Marj for the next 20 or 30 years, and would rather see a stadium there.

We don't need a new stadium at this stage, even though most of the people on this forum would like one.

Rann ignoring the public? Just because things don't always go the way the folks on SA would like them to go? How much of the public do you/we really represent? I mean, we all want to see the best things done for our state and our city, but we're looking at it mainly from the point of view of just one demographic. The government has to take all demographics into account and do what's best for the community overall. That's their job.

Like many, though, what I want most from a Government is for it to say to us 'OK, we chose this location for these reasons, and we did not choose these alternative locations for these reasons'. I'm certainly all for the development of a new hospital, but I'm not sure why we have to accept it in the railyards or it's nothing (and even if that isn't the case, it's certainly the impression that I suspect many people have, which doesn't reflect positively on the Government's public relations efforts).

If there are valid concerns about the accessibility/cost/proximity to other services/transport/etc. for other locations which in turn leaves the railyards as the only viable option, then so be it, but I think it's reasonable to expect the relevant Government ministers to inform us of these concerns rather than relying on the speculation of we forum members to attempt to explain the rationale behind the decision.

It seems to me that the railyards site is more deserving of some form of entertainment/recreational precinct, given its proximity to the Torrens, the recent tramline extension, the western suburbs and UniSA City West; similarly, I also think that a full redevelopment of the RAH in its existing location is fraught with logistic difficulties and misses out on the opportunity to create a fantastic public park along North Terrace. When a number of potentially viable locations exist, and continued to be offered as suggestions - Keswick Barracks, perhaps; the aforementioned Clipsal site; but without much communication from the Government, how are we supposed to know if we are completely off-base?