Parklands parking protest

Since the inception of the Adelaide Oval redevelopment, who would control the surrounding parklands for the purpose of event parking has been a contentious issue. An ongoing feud of management between the Adelaide City Council, Stadium Management Authority and State Government appears to have reached boiling point.

In a meeting held last night between the three parties, the proposal was put forward to remove management rights of areas of the surrounding Adelaide Oval parklands from the council.

CEO of the Transport, Energy and Infrastructure Department, Rod Hook, told 891 Breakfast with Matthew Abraham and David Bevan that the government had put to the council the transferring of areas required for the construction process and a licenced area.

"The government wants the council to licence the Minister to be in charge of that carpark area, and the minister will sub-licence the Stadium Management Authority (SMA) to run those carparks."

The Adelaide Council, since the beginning of the project, has argued that the parklands should remain under its care, with resulting revenue utilised to maintain the areas.

"This is a multi-million dollar business, it's coming into the city, and if you are going to bring your business into the city you've got to have the ability to make that business run properly," Mr Hook said.

"I don't think that there is huge revenue to be made out of carparking once a week, given the cost that we would expect would be involved in maintaining that carpark to the standard we would be expecting."

Moran's Parkland stand

Councillor Anne Moran spoke to 891 Breakfast to express her disappointment over the transference of the management of the Parklands to the SMA.

Councillor Moran said the council already controlled 22 per cent of the city's carparks and planned to price the parklands parking at a rate that would also encourage the use of these areas and public transport.

"Every councillor that is on the council now ran with banners saying 'protect and care for the parklands', so in my mind this council has nowhere to go," Ms Moran said.

"Handing it over to the government is one thing; if they run a carpark at least they are democratic, but to hand it over to them so they hand it over to footy is beyond outrageous."

Councillor Moran hoped that the legislation for transference would be blocked in the Upper House.

Legislating for transfer

Minister for Infrastructure, Patrick Conlon, told 891 Mornings with Ian Henschke that Cr Moran's position on the transfer of the management of the Adelaide Parklands portion near the oval was not necessarily that of the council.

Of the 3800 carparks that would be required surrounding the site, Mr Conlon said the Stadium Management Authority would manage 1800, with the council retaining control over the remaining 2000.

"Our bill will require that whoever is managing the carparking to manage it to a standard that protects the Parklands, if not enhances the Parklands."

Mr Conlon said that with the new footbridge putting the oval within 350 metres of the city's public transport hub, the hope was to encourage more spectators to utilise buses, trams and train to get to events.

"What we haven't done is give the sports [SMA], regardless of the hysteria that we hear, control of the 3000 odd parks that you are talking about."

"If they can't manage them, while protecting the Parklands, then they will lose the licence.

"What we are not doing is introducing carparking in any area where it doesn't occur at present on the Parklands."

Mr Conlon added reclaimed parklands from the construction of the new Adelaide Hospital may be used as temporary parking in the future.

View the original article here