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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2011-03-24 Daily Xml
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MURRAY BRIDGE

Mr PEDERICK (Hammond) (15:30): I rise today to talk about the expansions and developments that are currently happening and some things that will be happening very shortly in the future in Murray Bridge, the centrepiece town of my electorate. We have recently seen, and I have recently been out to visit, the site of the new Murray Bridge Racing Club development. This will be a world-class development, and as part of this development, the racing track has been laid out. There were about 20 scrapers working there at one stage, and construction has just begun on a South Australian first for a racetrack: a $750,000 tunnel as part of the new racetrack and equine centre, now under construction at the recently announced location known as Gifford Hill.

This site will also incorporate 3,500 residential homes and a world-class equine development. So, apart from 3,500 homes that will go in there over time, there will be training facilities for horse trainers. We have seen the demise of racing tracks in Adelaide at Cheltenham and Victoria Park, and I certainly believe that, in the future, Murray Bridge will become not only renowned in South Australia but in Australia as a great racing facility. The proposal will include a centre which will house up to 600 people in conference-style facilities and will be a great grandstand and viewing area for the races.

Not only will they have the main racetrack (which, of course, will be turf) but there will be an internal synthetic track, which will be the same size as the current Murray Bridge track and which will be able to be used in pretty well all weather conditions. So, it has the possibility of taking on meetings from other tracks. It is a great development.

Alongside that in Murray Bridge, an $80 million approximately 20,000 square metre retail centre is being built at the moment, incorporating a newer Woolworths, a Big W, 50 specialty shops and car parking for some 900 vehicles. As part of that building, there will be a new 1,800 square metre public library overlooking the river and that will be housed within the complex.

The Hon. M.J. Atkinson: The economy is going gangbusters under us.

Mr PEDERICK: No, it is under the local member, I think. In the very near future, there is going to be the redevelopment of $60 million to the existing Murray Bridge Green site, which is the current Woolworths site. The planning is already underway for the redevelopment of the existing racecourse and golf club, to expand the golf club and turn part of that racecourse into housing. Construction is soon to commence on a new regional police headquarters. The construction of a new waste water treatment plant to cater for the future expansion of Murray Bridge is on the go, as well. Planning is underway for the establishment of an educational precinct which will include the expansion of the current TAFE.

Sadly, the planning for the redevelopment of the railway precinct and the development of a new visitor information centre has gone on for too long. I would like to see the railway land developed sooner so we can get a world-class convention and conference centre built there, but that is taking some time because it will be a very expensive development. There is also the ongoing expansion of existing manufacturing industries that include Australian Portable Camps. There are also industries like the Schirripa family's Adelaide Mushrooms and Scott's Transport that have a depot not far from Murray Bridge, out at Monarto.

Certainly, at the forefront of these developments is the Murray Bridge Racing Club's development that is being completed in conjunction with Burke Urban. It is great work by a racing club that had the vision to go forward. A lot of people said it would not happen. They have had the vision to go forward and get partners on board, and it will be a fantastic project that is being built now. It is happening and will happen over time.

I also salute the other developments that are happening in Murray Bridge. They will provide a much-needed retail, shopping, restaurant and library precinct, for not only the community of Murray Bridge, but many Mallee families who travel to Murray Bridge as their main centre of business.

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