News & Discussion: Squares and Parklands

[Vee]

This site could have been used to develop a much needed near city public high school - either as a second campus for Adelaide HS or a new, ultra modern, energy efficient, innovative school with some of the mooted environmental features for this section of parklands setting. It is close to the city, public transport, playing fields and other amenities. Some vision and forward planning sorely needed.

Adelaide HS is 'packed to the rafters' and crying out for more space and there is demand for another city-based or near city public special interest/innovative high school to meet the demand in an expanding city.

[ozisnowman]

With a train station nearby that is not a bad location for a high school.
Pity our government want see the light of day, they are tunnel visioned
in their 6 super schools all for the northern suburbs.

A decent playground such as Millicents Mega Playground or Mount Gambiers
Valley Lake Playground would also be good additions, however all Adelaide
can afford is a few scrubs and a swing and a slippery dip.

[Vee]

Agree.

With a train station nearby that is not a bad location for a high school.
.... 6 super schools all for the northern suburbs.

I would like to add to my previous comments on this old depot site as a logical place for a new, much needed public high school (or additional campus) close to the city.

What happened to the outcry, "Parents, teachers want new high school in inner-city Adelaide" as reported 5 August 09?
http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/stor ... 01,00.html
"The State Government is undertaking a feasibility study on expanding the high-demand Adelaide High School, the only public high school in the CBD, which is tightening its eligibility criteria from 2010."

Anyone got any clues on any progress in this area?

[shiftaling]

I live near this so I was interested in seeing any design proposals for the landscaping of the new park. I asked at city council and there is no current application for a park, just for demo work and soil decontamination. They suggested I ask Planning SA about the proposed design, Planning SA told me to ask the council.

So all we have to go on is basically a Rann media release from 2006 as far as I can tell.

[fabricator]

The only activity I've seen on this site was the demolition of an old red brick close to Port Road, which was demolished to allow for widening of the road to make room for the tram line.

The area is a bit of a wasteland, on one hand it would be good to see it converted to a park, on the other is prime land. Convert the bulldozed carpark, old bowling club, and SA Water buildings into a new office park for small business for example.

[SRW]

I'm happy the parklands are being restored, and concerned that people still view them as virgin land. In any event, though, I'd rather a new public school within the Square Mile. There's that huge vacant lot sitting on Gouger Street now with nothing to do...as well as multiple other suitable sites.

[adam_stuckey]

I agree a school there would go great especially considering the main roads that are close to provide easy access to the school.

Also I think the ACC should also worry about maintaining the existing parts of the parklands eg. Vic park, the Western Torrens and keeping Rymill park duck pond full of water, before taking on and new project.

[shiftaling]

I am interested in the plans for this bit of the parklands (vested interested alert, I live really close to the site and would love to see it redeveloped as a park, although I acknowledge that others would like to see it put to another use).

There is a sign on the site saying that it is to be returned to parkland but I don't think there is anything more concrete about the ultimate design at this stage: the council only have application/approval for demolition and soil remediation.

Does anyone have any idea how to find the best person in SA government or ACC to ask about the process of designing the new park (or whatever is going to be put there)? What kind of consultation process etc?

[rhino]

Adelaide HS is 'packed to the rafters' and crying out for more space and there is demand for another city-based or near city public special interest/innovative high school to meet the demand in an expanding city.

I assume you mean more space within the buildings, because I can't see how they can be running out of space at the enormous site they currently occupy. If they need more/bigger/better buildings, there's plenty of space for that at the current site - why propose two campuses?

[Vee]

I assume you mean more space within the buildings, because I can't see how they can be running out of space at the enormous site they currently occupy. If they need more/bigger/better buildings, there's plenty of space for that at the current site - why propose two campuses?

In answer to your query, I believe that Adelaide HS is 'bursting at the seams' with enrolment pressures and is unable to increase its footprint due to constraints related to the heritage listing of the buildings and its parklands location.
I did a Google search and found this doc on future options for AHS. This mentions the site constraints, zoning restrictions and options to meet the needs of increasing demand. http://www.adelaidehs.sa.edu.au/FutureO ... School.pdf

A new state govt. high school (or even a second campus - senior or junior) on the old depot site would be a good use of the site, providing the much needed inner city high school, as reported in local news items and this forum.

Another option could be to replace the ramshackle and unsightly collection of police buildings, directly opposite the depot, with a new school and relocate the police buildings to another site. Both options have good transport links and accessibility to the city and the new TOD at the Clipsal site.
(Relocating the police barracks would add to the overall cost but these are such an eyesore!)

[yousername]

Patrick Conlon taks a swipe at our parklands 'paddock'
BRYAN LITTLELY From: The Advertiser May 12, 2010 12:01am

TRANSPORT and Infrastructure Minister Patrick Conlon has launched a crusade to transform Adelaide's "cow paddock" parklands.

At the Committee for Economic Development of Australia Transport Infrastructure Review lunch at the Convention Centre yesterday, Mr Conlon said: "The parklands, a great deal of it, resemble the paddock you used to keep the cows in before going off to the abattoirs.

"We've got to do something about that, in my opinion."

But he did not elaborate on what he would like to see in the parklands, nor did he announce any infrastructure projects.

"I never said I have a prescription, but I do think we need to do things to make the parklands more attractive to the people," he later told The Advertiser.

He also promised the lunch gathering of engineers, major project heads and businessmen a "new and improved Adelaide by 2014".

"You will see an Adelaide that is unrecognisable, but for the better," he said.

Adelaide Parklands Preservation Association president Kelly Henderson said ideal cities had figured in human imagination for centuries, but were seldom implemented.

"Survival of an ideal model city, as in the case of William Light's Plan for Adelaide with its innovative and unique figure-eight of parklands, is particularly rare," she said.

"William Light's masterpiece of human genius, with its unique integrated system of open space, is worthy of restoration and international recognition, requiring political will rather than political concrete.

"In the lead-up to the 175th anniversary of the founding of Adelaide, we would do well to honour previous bipartisan commitments for return of alienated parklands and for World Heritage nomination of William Light's Adelaide plan."

The International Federation of Surveyors has taken up the cause of World Heritage Listing for William Light's Plan for Adelaide and its parklands.

[mattblack]

Patrick Conlon taks a swipe at our parklands 'paddock'
BRYAN LITTLELY From: The Advertiser May 12, 2010 12:01am

"William Light's masterpiece of human genius, with its unique integrated system of open space, is worthy of restoration

What exactally do the APPC see as restoration. The parklands are barron for one reason, the first settlers here cleared the land for building supplies and wood for heat as well as grazing country and they have never recovered. Does the APPC want to "restore" them to natural bushland or botanic parklands?

[Waewick]

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/sout ... 5872970822

ADELAIDE'S parklands are under siege from a range of planned developments, failure to return land designated for rehabilitation and a procession of Government ministers calling for open space to be turned over to new developments.

I realise many on here are fairly anti-parklands any way but personally I believe they need to be retained at all cost.

The biggest issue is that they are not utilised well enough hence people see them as vacant land ready for development. If we could get a decent ACC that pushed for some assistance to have our parklands improved to something like Central PArks or Kings Park people are going to be less interested in knocking it down and start venturing to it.

[AtD]

While huge areas of the parklands are used for nothing more than horse paddock and car parking, I cannot take the notion of a 'threat' seriously. It's not like there are plans to subdivide and sell the land, it's all well planned public works for social benefit. Slightly more important than dog walks and picnics.

[Wayno]

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/sout ... 5872970822

ADELAIDE'S parklands are under siege from a range of planned developments, failure to return land designated for rehabilitation and a procession of Government ministers calling for open space to be turned over to new developments.

I realise many on here are fairly anti-parklands any way but personally I believe they need to be retained at all cost.

The biggest issue is that they are not utilised well enough hence people see them as vacant land ready for development. If we could get a decent ACC that pushed for some assistance to have our parklands improved to something like Central PArks or Kings Park people are going to be less interested in knocking it down and start venturing to it.

I think you'll find that the majority of S-A members agree with your stance. S-A is mostly "pro-development" but that doesn't always mean erecting buildings. Trouble being there's very little money set aside for making the park lands a destination in themselves (pending Victoria Park). That being said, did you note the latest from the ACC ==> http://www.sensational-adelaide.com/for ... 185#p78462.