House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2012-09-05 Daily Xml

Contents

Parliamentary Committees

PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE: ADELAIDE ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE MULTIDECK CAR PARK

Mr ODENWALDER (Little Para) (11:02): I move:

That the 451st report of the committee, entitled Adelaide Entertainment Centre Multideck Car Park, be noted.

The Adelaide Entertainment Centre (AEC) is proposing to design and construct a multideck car park on the AEC site to achieve the following objectives:

to improve access to car parking for AEC concertgoers;

to expand the AEC park-and-ride facility; and

to further underpin the operating profitability of the AEC.

The proposed budget for the project is $11.7 million. The project is to be fully funded from existing AEC operating cash reserves and no appropriation is required. The AEC will not be borrowing funds to finance this project. The AEC will self-fund the project while continuing to maintain healthy levels of cash reserves to ensure that the AEC can withstand future event downturns when they occur.

The AEC will be expending a further $2 million capital expenditure in 2012-13 to undertake site beautification, a ticketing system and traffic management upgrade and improvement works. These works again will be self-funded from the AEC's capital works budget and no appropriation is required. The AEC has identified the following specific key aims:

to achieve a minimum net car parking gain of 550 spaces on the site to provide adequate levels of parking for concerts and events;

to expand the AEC park-and-ride facility to help reduce vehicle movements in and out of the city;

to maintain affordable car parking for city-based retail and hospitality workers;

to build new revenue streams to further safeguard the AEC against downturns in international touring so that it continues to trade profitably;

to achieve a significant architectural and construction outcome that champions sustainability principles and that optimises operating costs over the lifecycle of the improved facilities; and

to foster the development of a vibrant entertainment and multimedia precinct on the AEC site.

The AEC expects to obtain a net return of $617,000 per annum from the additional 602 net car parks to be constructed under this project. The current park-and-ride parking fee is $2. It is proposed that, with the new multideck car park, the fee will increase to $4 for all users. This fee is substantially less than other public parking facilities around the CBD and is not expected to have adverse impacts on park-and-ride patronage. The AEC will remain fully operational throughout the construction. Approximately 360 car parks on the site will continue to be available for use through construction.

The AEC has been in discussions with the Urban Renewal Authority about utilising space on the former Clipsal site to provide for additional AEC concertgoer and park-and-ride commuter parking. The AEC has reached in-principle commercial agreement with the Urban Renewal Authority to enter into a permit agreement to utilise a parcel of land on the former Clipsal site, which is located approximately 400 metres from the AEC and accommodates approximately 280 car parks. The AEC will fund the $100,000-plus GST permit cost to utilise this land parcel throughout the project construction period. The project will be completed by June 2013, so given this and pursuant to section 12C of the Parliamentary Committees Act 1991, the Public Works Committee reports to parliament that it recommends the proposed public works.

Mr PENGILLY (Finniss) (11:05): The opposition supported this project. As the presiding member mentioned in his remarks, the project is being entirely funded from within the Adelaide Entertainment Centre budget, something which we were happy to agree to obviously as we did not need to find additional money. The CEO, Mr Anthony Kirchner, at the time answered all questions put to him in a very professional manner, and it is fair to say that all members of the committee were very comfortable with that project. So, yes, we support it.

Motion carried.