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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2011-11-23 Daily Xml
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Ministerial Statement

CAPITAL CITY COMMITTEE

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Premier, Minister for State Development) (14:02): I seek leave to make a ministerial statement.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: Last week I chaired my first meeting of the Capital City Committee, which is a unique partnership between the state and Adelaide City Council for the strategic development of the city as our state's capital.

We know that Adelaide is one of the world's most liveable cities, but we also must heed lessons from around the world about the role of successful cities as economic, social and cultural powerhouses. Our reputation across the world as a place to attract business and skilled workers is affected by the reputation of our city centre. We all want our young people to see Adelaide as a vibrant and active place to spend their youth, not just a place to return to in later life.

I see the Capital City Committee as having a pivotal role in revitalising the city. A reflection of how seriously the government views this agenda and our partnership with the council is my appointment of three senior ministers to the committee: myself as Premier, the Deputy Premier, and the Minister for Transport and Infrastructure and Housing and Urban Development joined the Lord Mayor, the Deputy Lord Mayor and a councillor at last week's meeting.

We committed to work together on a real change agenda to enliven our city, including activating side streets, laneways and spaces between buildings; finding new uses for vacant buildings, including heritage buildings; reducing red tape so new enterprises can flourish in Adelaide's CBD; having a flexible planning regime for the city centre; promoting shared-use roads; and increasing the population living in the city.

People are the key to making a city tick around the clock, and committee members are committed to more people living in the inner city. Activity to regenerate the city is underway. Along North Terrace and the Riverbank there will be world-class health facilities, the Adelaide Oval upgrade, and the redeveloped Torrens Riverbank, including expansion of our Convention Centre. The Adelaide City Council is also committed to investing in upgrading Rundle Mall as a primary shopping destination, where we will now see public holiday trading.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: Well, subject to those opposite telling us what they think about it. These developments will have significant flow-on benefits—boosting the economy, providing jobs, giving a sense of buzz around town and reinvigorating the city as a place for all South Australians to enjoy.

These investments are the canvass that will allow us to create a truly exciting city, but we get one chance to get it right. I want the Riverbank precinct to be nothing less than superb, and I believe that connecting this centrepiece development back into the CBD is critical to how the city eventually operates and feels.

It is the public spaces that will determine the success of this development. That is why the committee decided to target the priority zone for public space activation in the city as the area bounded by North Terrace, West Terrace, Currie Street, Grenfell Street and Pulteney Street, and to connect this to the new Royal Adelaide Hospital and Riverbank area.

This means working together on finding new uses for vacant buildings, linking up creatives, young entrepreneurs and property owners and looking at ways to remove red tape and improve innovation. Examples of the businesses which fit this mould are Burger Theory's mobile food van, started up by a couple of young entrepreneurs and made possible with help, including from local business. There are bars like Cork in Gouger Street, a model bringing together a city venue as a showcase for the state's justified representation for world-class wine, and temporary venues like Tuxedo Cat, which operated as an event bar during the Festival season.

Early next year, I will convene an 'emerging leaders' forum with the Lord Mayor to learn from and build on these examples so that we can encourage more business opportunities for our young entrepreneurs in the city. Over the summer break there are exciting initiatives planned by local traders in Rundle Street East and Adelaide City Council. These range from street closures to temporary outdoor cinemas.

At the Capital City Committee we agreed that the state would assist in expanding these initiatives this coming summer. The Adelaide City Council has allocated $100,000 for city activation pilots. Projects underway include deck chairs on North Terrace, and Friday afternoon and evening street closures for outdoor dining on Leigh Street; and I announced today the state government will match this funding as part of our push to revitalise our city.

We must revitalise our city so that it is a place for all of us, and grasp the opportunity to bring it back to life in a way that capitalises on the work that is already in the pipeline.

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