News & Discussion: Squares and Parklands

[ml69]

Just completing my unfinished post from earlier today ...

It's great to see the state government take the lead with this. As Weatherill says, the Parklands are for all South Australians and therefore I believe it's their responsibility to fund significant capital works.

I think most people would agree that the parklands are currently underfunded, hence the reason why parts of it look a bit unkept.

With the proposed new planning legislation on inner city roads for higher density residential, now is the perfect opportunity for the state government to legislate a new funding model to ensure the parklands get the funding they deserve.

My suggestion goes like this:

1. As mentioned above, state goverment funds significant capital works (eg Bonython Park revitalisation with wetlands).

2. State government to legislate that ACC plus all adjacent councils fund maintenance and minor upgrade work in the Parklands. Funding should be determined by an agreed % of each council's revenue base. Adjacent councils stand to receive an increase in rate revenue from the development of higher density residential, and part of this should be used to fund Parklands maintenance for the benefit of their residents.

3. State government appoints an independent authority to administer this Parklands funding and prioritise maintenance and upgrade work, hence taking any local politics out of the equation. The members of this authority would consist of representatives of ACC, adjacent councils and state government.

4. If it hasn't been done already, a 20-30 year strategic plan for the entire Parklands (not just Riverbank) needs to be developed and consultation with the community undertaken. Then 5 year action plans developed (with funding) to achieve the strategic vision.

With this structure in place, there will be significantly more funding available from local and state govt levels which will help us achieve the vision of world-class parklands which our city can be proud of.

My

[Vee]

Artist's impression of the revitalized parklands.
http://adelaidehub.blogspot.com.au/2013 ... lised.html?

Looks good. I like the idea of a bigger vision for the park lands with more user/family friendly facilities, popup events and food trucks etc, and safer/improved spaces, cycling and pedestrian pathways. Better than the dustbowl look. Solar input, lots of LED lighting would be great.

This statistic is amazing.

Adelaide's parklands are over 750 ha, more than twice the size of New York's Central Park and four times larger than Sydney's Centennial Park Lands.

This emphasizes the gift that was provided to the city in the original plan and the size (and cost) of the challenge for government.

How will the stodgy park lands authority/citizens' lobby react? Well, here's one reaction. Surprised?

Residents' group sceptical of Adelaide parklands upgrade

The Parklands Preservation Association says it is sceptical of South Australian Government plans to revitalise Adelaide's parklands.

The Government said it planned to spend $20 million over four years to improve lighting and gardens and introduce more walkways and "pop-up" cafes. It said it wanted councils to match its spending.

Parklands group president Ian Gilfillan said he thought the Government proposal was an attempt to gain greater control of the land from Adelaide City Council.

"If I really trusted their intention was to protect and preserve and enhance the parklands I would have less concern," he said.

Local Government Association president David O'Loughlin, who is Prospect Mayor and the Labor candidate for the seat of Adelaide, said councils were prepared to invest.

"Councils are always financially constrained and they're as constrained as their ratepayers want them to be, but this is a great conversation to have with local ratepayers and say 'How about we invest just outside our actual jurisdictional precinct but for the benefit of our citizens?' I think you'd find most residents would say that's a good thing," he said.

The Government said much of the city's parklands ring was in need of a makeover or under-utilised. Planning Minister John Rau was quick to point out there was no plan to include housing in the changes.

"We are not talking about putting apartments or office blocks on the parklands. That's not going to happen, it's not even in anyone's imagination," he said.

Environment Minister Ian Hunter said the Government would ensure any transformation was done sensitively and said public feedback would be important.

"We could have tram stops, there may be pop-up events, pop-up cafes, pop-up restaurants - really it's up to the imagination of the people who live around the parklands about what they want to do with their own parks," he said.

ABCNews
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-11-04/r ... an/5066862

[wilkiebarkid]

Not sure if this has been posted anywhere. An article in the Indaily mag.

100 years of the same parklands debate

David Washington | 5 November 2013

Part of the Adelaide parklands near LeFevre Terrace, North Adelaide, in 1915. Photo: State Library of South Australia Today, the parklands in North Adelaide are filled with horses instead of cows.

A creek running through the parklands, circa 1912. Photo: State Library of South Australia Open space in the parklands. Photo: Nat Rogers/InDaily

Today, the parklands in North Adelaide are filled with horses instead of cows.

ANALYSIS | Almost exactly 100 years ago, an Adelaide newspaper published a puzzled lament about the city’s under-utilised parklands.

The Daily Herald – the daily publication of the Labor Party – offered its view, on 11 November 1913, that something needed to be done about the parklands.

“Citizens of Adelaide boast, with a virtuous pride, of the fine parklands that border this picturesque city, and there is justification for the boast,” the Herald said.

“Nevertheless, oftentimes -a visitor perplexes us by naively asking why we ‘do nothing with them’; why we leave them merely as pastures for cows; why they are many times shadeless and neglected.

“We are asked why our stretches of parks are not, even in part, such beautiful specimens of the gardener’s art as are to be viewed in Melbourne wherever the corporations have secured an open space.

“We are questioned, too, why we do not make part of our generous reserves heritages for the children of our city.”

A century later, the modern ancestors of that nameless Labor scribe are having another go at “fixing” our parklands.

In 2013, Premier Jay Weatherill is asking almost exactly the same questions.

“They are one of our city’s greatest assets but they are vastly under-used,” Weatherill said in a media release announcing an allocation of $20 million for “parklands revitalisation projects”.

“Rather than being seen as a moat around the city, the parklands should be a place everyone wants to enjoy.”

Weatherill said he wanted “a new vision for the parklands”. And that vision involves spending $20 million over four years, with an independent body established to “engage” with the community.

Back in 1913, the Daily Herald was also wondering about lack of investment – and comparing Adelaide unfavourably to big cities elsewhere.

“American parks and playgrounds have become world-famed. Chicago in 1908 was maintaining 18 playgrounds at a cost of 11,000,000 dollars, and New York had spent 15,000,000 dollars.”

Again, nothing has changed. New York got a favourable mention on the weekend, with the Sunday Mail, which received the media release before the rest of the local press, saying the plan was to transform the parklands “from a paddock into our own Central Park”.

They even led off the story talking about “more playgrounds”.

It’s hard to tell whether the Herald had any short-term success with its playground push – one suspects not.

They would be gratified to know that 100 years later, we do have a range of notable playgrounds – including a very popular new one in Bonython Park – and we’re still talking about building more.

However, many other things are unchanged, as can be seen in this week’s reaction to the Government’s modest investment proposal.

In that peculiar Adelaide way, the parklands remain a source of great pride – and almost continuous squabbling.

[Vee]

Another update on the control of the park lands/vision/funding saga. ACC response.

ACC says parklands should stay under its control.

ADELAIDE City Council says there is no need to change the way the parklands are governed in the wake of the State Government's pledge to invest $20 million in the green belt and review who controls it.

The council has been quick to point out the funding- for new playgrounds, sports fields, events, lighting and walking trails over the next four years - is less than it spends on the parklands in a single year.

Read:
http://www.news.com.au/national/south-a ... 6754126119

[Mr Smith]

ACC says parklands should stay under its control.

ADELAIDE City Council says there is no need to change the way the parklands are governed in the wake of the State Government's pledge to invest $20 million in the green belt and review who controls it.

The council has been quick to point out the funding- for new playgrounds, sports fields, events, lighting and walking trails over the next four years - is less than it spends on the parklands in a single year.

Read:
http://www.news.com.au/national/south-a ... 6754126119[/quote]

Yes well the ACC would say that wouldn't they! Travelling in from Prospect Road, the parklands out there are essentially scrub very reminiscent of rolling into Balranald.

[[Shuz]]

If they spend more than $20m in a single year on the Parklands, then I want to ask, just what the bloody hell are they doing with all that money?

A new playground in Bonython Park, Some cosmetic work on Victoria Park, and a panda bridge? The rest is basically scrub. Come on.

[claybro]

i am a bit concerned other local councils are looking to take on the parklands..... Despite unprecedented increases in revenue over the last 10 years from higher property values raising rates, the local councils still cry poor. Their maintenance of even their own local parks is poor with mowing of verges not regular (City of charles Sturt is nutorious for this) un-irrigated parks and green spaces etc. (City of Mitcham). Even our main entry from the airport ..the median of Sir Donald Bradman Drive from the airport to Marion road is now just dry and un-cut grass gone to seed, not even properly landscaped..and the mess that is the tram median on port road(City Of West torrens)...the discraceful footpath area across the road from the Ice Arena...despite the millions spent on the park there...the carpet roses that once where on the median of main north road have been removed by Prospect council and replaced by...paving...pothole ridden local roads etc, and they want to take on some developement of the Parklands???? Please...to all local councils, just get your own patch right first. Adelaides arterial roads are among the most unsightly in the country...forgotten wastelands of dead vegetation, poorly maintained street trees, and poor design with little thought given to beutifying. Maybe control of the parklands should be removed from council level all together and given over to an independant group to maintain and develop, funded by revnue from sympathetic use of the area.

[ml69]

Maybe control of the parklands should be removed from council level all together and given over to an independant group to maintain and develop, funded by revnue from sympathetic use of the area.

See my post from Sun 3/11 above.

[Vee]

Item on ABC 891: Clubroom redevelopment on Adelaide Parklands angers residents.

Can't see what all the fuss is about. Another quotable quote (see below) from Mr Gilfillan.

An upgrade to Adelaide University clubrooms on the Adelaide Parklands near Frome Road and War Memorial Drive has angered local residents.

Old single-story clubrooms near The Graduates' Oval have been demolished, with a two storey complex now taking shape.
Original plans were submitted to the Parklands Authority in 2011 and subject to 'significant scrutiny', the Adelaide City Council's Michael Henningsen told 891 Breakfast.

"The new building under construction replaces not only one building, but actually four separate buildings in that part of the parklands that we lease to the university," Councillor Henningsen said.
"The four smaller buildings were really quite rundown."

Mr Hessingsen said the university approached the council with wishes to consolidate the buildings and replace them with a two-storey structure.

A University of Adelaide spokesperson advised the structure would consist of a basement level and one above ground level.
Due to the new building replacing existing buildings, no public consultation was required.
"There was no public notification required," Councillor Hessingsen said.

President of the Parklands Preservation Association, Ian Gilfillan, said the redevelopment took him 'by dramatic surprise'.
"I certainly hadn't seen anything until I looked at what is now quite a substantial building right in an area where there had been quite an inconspicuous facility," Mr Gilfillan said.

He said the old buildings should have been renovated, rather than constructing the new premises.
"The Parklands should not be a venue for showpiece architecture of two storeys to facilitate sporting groups."

More: ABC
http://www.abc.net.au/local/photos/2014 ... 985711.htm

[Nathan]

Got to love this comment from one of the residents: "Our whole lifestyle has changed".

Is it even 2 levels above ground? From that construction shot it looks like a single level, with a sloped high ceiling (so ~ 1 1/2 levels then), and surrounded by some substantial trees which are all still taller than the new building.

[Dvious]

When will they give up.

I'm starting to get really frustrated with certain groups in Adelaide, and the NIMBY preservation association is one of them.

[[Shuz]]

The Parklands Preservation Association are a hilarious lot. It's so funny, but so sad, that they're actually serious. They way they carry on about the tiniest of matters reminds me of Mr Pitt and Elaine in Seinfeld, with the socks. God bless them.

[shaun]

This needs a Royal Commission.

[Dog]

"Our whole lifestyle has changed" what a ding bat!


My recollection of regularly walking past was of a dilapidated painted concrete block building and a strong sewage smell, possibly still on a septic system.

These park lands people need to get a life.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Honey of a City]

As a local resident I'm thrilled that the ugly and run down changing sheds are gone and a sleek new multi-purpose building's replacing it. At the rear of the build is also a new and very spiffy fitness station free for the public to use and already in operation.