OPEN SPACE AND PLACES FOR PEOPLE GRANTS

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (14:42): Will the Minister for Urban Development and Planning. provide the chamber with details of the latest round of funding for public space for the Open Space and Places for People initiatives?

The Hon. D.W. Ridgway interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! The Hon. Mr Ridgway will come to order.

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY (Minister for Police, Minister for Mineral Resources Development, Minister for Urban Development and Planning) (14:43): I thank the honourable member for his question and for his interest in this subject.

The Hon. D.W. Ridgway interjecting:

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY: Well, perhaps you should read Tuesday's Advertiser and read the Police Commissioner's letter. Perhaps that would be a good start if you want to go and read something. I know my press releases are really good and I greatly appreciate that you read them, but why don't you read what the Police Commissioner says?

I am delighted to inform members that I have this month approved more than $2.2 million in grants to enhance the quality of open space throughout South Australia in the latest round of public funding. These approvals relate to 13 new Open Space and Places for People grants to be financed from the South Australian government's planning and development fund.

The importance of these community projects is demonstrated by the continued strong demand from local councils for funding from the Open Space and Places for People initiatives. Joint funding from the Rann government and local councils endorsed by the Public Space Advisory Committee has financed the development of public parks, walkways, barbecue areas and other facilities.

Funding from the Open Space and People for Places initiatives have also helped to complete sections of the popular River Torrens Linear and Foreshore parks that link the Adelaide Hills to the gulf. In the latest round of funding, grants included $990,000 to the City of Playford for improvements to the Stebonheath Park at Andrews Farm. Stebonheath Park is a 25-hectare tract of land classed as regional reserve in Adelaide's northern suburbs, which presents a tremendous opportunity to develop a high standard of informal recreation for the local community.

Situated within the Smith Creek corridor, Stebonheath Park is an ideal location to create a multipurpose park that also incorporates biodiversity and water management. The park is also conveniently located to several housing developments in the area, providing an opportunity to create open space for the local residents. As part of a $7.956 million project to be undertaken by the City of Playford, Stebonheath Park would be extensively revegetated to provide shade and an attractive setting to complement the wetland development. This multi-million-dollar project will also physically improve the reserve through major earthworks and the linking of various open sections by path trails and board walks to create a linear park.

I am also pleased to inform members that the southern suburbs of Adelaide have also been well served by the latest round of funding. In fact, I have approved three grants worth more than $460,000 to the City of Marion to complete public works in that council area. These grants approved comprise $328,250 for the Hazelmere Reserve development, $90,205 for the Scarborough Terrace Reserve community fitness facility, and $45,000 for the Glade Crescent recreational reserve and wetland development. The $328,250 open space grant for the Hazelmere Reserve development will contribute to the $656,550 overall cost of upgrading this reserve in suburban Glengowrie.

The City of Marion plans to upgrade community facilities within the 2.4 hectare reserve to include walking trails, basketball courts, a barbecue area, drinking fountains and public toilets. This project will go some way towards meeting the strong community demand for open space in this part of Adelaide. An additional $90,000 open space grant will allow the City of Marion to turn the Scarborough Terrace reserve into a community fitness facility at a total cost of $180,410. This project includes a 300-metre rubberised jogging track, eight strategically located exercise stations and picnic facilities. A further $45,000 has been granted to the City of Marion towards the $90,000 cost of developing detailed design plans for Glade Reserve—a key link in the 38 kilometre coast to vines trail from Marino to Willunga. Glade Crescent is currently an underdeveloped and degraded 13 hectares of open space that has the potential to be upgraded into a key regional recreational area.

I am also pleased to inform members that the residents of Adelaide are not the only ones to benefit from the government's open space grants. In the latest round of funding, the District Council of Ceduna received a grant of $373,000 for the third stage of its Ceduna Streetscape project. The district council will provide the remaining share of the $746,000 cost of the public works of the extension of this well received streetscape project from the main street to the foreshore. This extended streetscape will create a pedestrian-priority environment that, when enhanced by traffic management, will reduce the speed of vehicles through the town. Anyone who has been to Ceduna and seen the great job that has been done on the early stages of that project would, I am sure, agree that that was money very well spent. It has greatly enhanced Ceduna.

The area earmarked for the next phase of development includes the Ceduna Foreshore Hotel which was recently refurbished at a cost of $7 million. The Places for People grant will also allow the district council to create a multipurpose public space adjacent to the Ceduna jetty. This area can be combined with road space for community events. These public works, assisted by the Planning and Development Fund, will encourage private investment in shops and facilities in the town centre that will make Ceduna a more attractive and vibrant place to live.

The Rann government has now invested more than $36 million from the Planning and Development Fund to encourage local government and community groups throughout the state to develop open space in their local area for recreation, walking and cycling. This latest round of grants and the various projects they fund are further evidence that the Rann Labor government supports the South Australian community.