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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2012-10-18 Daily Xml
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CITY OF ADELAIDE PLANNING

Mr BIGNELL (Mawson) (15:09): My question is to the Minister for Planning. Can the minister inform the house about the government's work to build a more vibrant Adelaide, particularly the work undertaken in Leigh Street?

The Hon. J.R. RAU (Enfield—Deputy Premier, Attorney-General, Minister for Planning, Minister for Business Services and Consumers) (15:09): The government is, as the Premier has said many times, and as all of us have tried to reiterate, very much committed to a vibrant Adelaide. Our planning reforms that were put in place in March this year I am pleased to advise the house have already resulted in approximately $1.2 billion worth of investment in more than 20 projects presently under case management, which is a great step forward for the city.

As those projects come into the stage where they are going to be an active development, that is employment, and it is further demonstration of confidence in our city by private sector investors. We are also delivering more places for people in the city centre, which is a very important part of a vibrant city.

I hope all members have taken the opportunity to go down to Leigh Street lately and seen what a great effect the work that has been done in Leigh Street has achieved. At one level, it seems a fairly simple thing to be closing off the street and putting some planter boxes in there, but the remarkable thing is the effect that it has had on the energy in that street and the number of people visiting that street. I am able to tell members who weren't there—

The Hon. I.F. Evans: It's all the Liberal Party members signing up.

The Hon. J.R. RAU: Indeed. It shows what an ecumenical group we are to have tried to beautify the street directly outside the Liberal Party headquarters. How much more even handed can you be? I understand the people in the Liberal Party headquarters have enjoyed this, as have the people in the luggage shop, the hairdressing shop, and Rigoni's—everybody is loving it.

Members opposite may well know, therefore, that last week Channel 5 organised what is called a guerrilla gig, I am told, by The Veronicas in Leigh Street. I thought it was odd that two sisters would have the same name, but The Veronicas, apparently, were in Leigh Street. It was a big crowd. Apparently, in the Twitter-sphere it was huge. Everybody was very interested. Hundreds of people came into the street.

There was a national delivery of that event through Channel 5. As I said, the social media was abuzz. The traditional media carried it as well. It was a fantastic demonstration that what we are doing in places like Leigh Street is working, and the community loves it. I recommend anybody who has not been there to go down there and have a look at what is going on. It is really good.

Leigh Street is not the end of the story; it is the beginning of the story. What we want to get through to people—and I think it is important that it is embraced by all of us in this place—is that we are looking to have an integration of a very pedestrian-friendly corridor from North Terrace, all the way through the Topham Mall, Bank Street and eventually—

Ms CHAPMAN: Point of order. The Attorney-General has gone over his four minutes.

The SPEAKER: No, according to this he has 51 seconds left. Minister.

The Hon. J.R. RAU: We are working to ensure government investment in infrastructure and to make sure that private investors get behind what we are doing and take advantage of the great opportunities in the city.

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