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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2023-11-14 Daily Xml
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Bills

Adelaide University Bill

Second Reading

Adjourned debate on second reading (resumed on motion).

Mr Odenwalder: Commend the bill to the house.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER (Morialta—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (15:40): I thank the member for Elizabeth for the suggestion.

The SPEAKER: This is the concerto. I think the member for Morialta has already given his magnum opus, but this is significant nonetheless. I make those comments only to assist future researchers, which the member for Morialta earlier referred to.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: I will tender all future matters on which I am speaking to the member for Elizabeth for his suggestions.

Prior to the break, when discussing the bill, we discussed matters in relation to unintended consequences—although certainly foreshadowed consequences—relating to Flinders University and the broader South Australian higher education sector.

We have dealt with matters relating to regional and rural South Australian students, and both those students in the southern suburbs and students in regional and rural South Australia, obviously, will be in a better situation after the next election with the ascendency of the new Liberal government after 2026.

Further matters need consideration. Related to the passage of the bill is also the consequential sale of the land at Magill and Mawson Lakes to the government. The government sees this as a budget-neutral endeavour, which I suppose it may be according to certain accounting techniques, albeit in reality the government is giving $115 million to the university and in return is obtaining land of that value but an asset that the government does not need. Effectively, it sits on the balance sheet with very minimal impact on the long-term bottom line, but nevertheless the university needs the cash, it does not need the land.

With respect to the situation at Mawson Lakes, I believe the government is acquiring a golf course. Clearly, the government I do not think is seeking to establish a mechanism to use the golf course for any particular purpose but it will be owned by the government and sit on the books. The member for Florey, I am certain, will be keen for the community to be consulted if the government ever intends to dispose of it.

However, it is adjacent to and theoretically at the moment part of the University of SA's Mawson Lakes site and, well, there it is. It is really no more complicated as that as best I can tell. It is an odd sort of thing, but the university gets its $50 million in ready cash and the government acquires a golf course but it sits equally on the budget bottom line.

Magill is probably of a higher level of immediate interest and concern because there is a proposal to dispose of the land at Magill. East of St Bernards Road is in the electorate of Morialta, and I obviously take a strong interest as the local member. I put it to the government, and encourage them very seriously over the next 2½ years as they seek to—as I think Rick Persse from the Department of Treasury put it—realise as much of the value as possible from the purchase of the land.

Renewal SA will be working to dispose of the land on the eastern side of St Bernards Road. Renewal SA described the development of housing. We certainly need a level of housing, but there is an opportunity here. Bearing in mind that this is a community that has experienced pretty much the highest level of urban infill of any patch of land in South Australia and metropolitan Adelaide in particular over the last decade as a result of the work of John Rau, the land there represents one of the last pieces of open space in that community.

There are significant new developments at the old seminary, at the old Magill Training Centre, and infill on almost every street in Magill and Rostrevor has had an impact, and that land is used every day. A proposal from the Campbelltown council has been put forward. I urge the government to take that proposal very seriously. A recommendation was put forward in the majority report in relation to the land at Magill in relation to community consultation. The majority view was:

Public consultation in relation to the use, development or sale of land at Magill and Mawson Lakes should commence at the earliest reasonable stage and councils with an explicit interest in the disposal of land should be involved in the master planning processes.

That is fine in as far as it goes. The Hon. Jing Lee and I went further and urged:

(6) As part of the public consultation recommended by this report, in relation to the Magill campus land, Government should include an offer to deliver on Council's suggestions for the development of community facilities on the Eastern part of the land.

Council is willing to put some money in, council is willing to invest in the community and council is willing to assist in meeting the government's burden of trying to realise some financial value from this land. I recognise council's offer may not be the maximum financial benefit to the state government for the land, but it will considerably alleviate community anxiety about what would otherwise be seen as another high-density housing development. It is only a couple of kilometres up the road in relation to the Woodforde site and the Hills face, where you have a five-storey apartment building that has been put in place next to narrow streets and minimal street parking at the Woodforde development.

That sort of proposal I think would be extremely poorly received in the community—a community where the local high school has about double the enrolments expected within the next five years compared to what it was when I was elected in 2010. There were about 1,200 students at Norwood Morialta High School in 2010; there are about 1,800 at Norwood International today; and there are 200 at Morialta Secondary College, and in five years that will be 1,200. That is based on no further development at Magill, so that is an issue. If we were talking about a portion of the land, if we were talking about a particularly sensitive development—retirement living, for example—then that is a different kettle of fish. Council's proposal for community and sporting facilities would go a long way, and I encourage the government to it.

In relation to the western side of the land, there is more time for that. The western side of the land is, of course, where most people would think of when they talk about the Magill campus. A lot of people would not even realise that the eastern side of the road is part of the Magill campus. On the western portion of the campus is Murray House; we understand the heritage protections there are strong enough to keep it. The committee has recommended, I think I can say unanimously, that the government enter into negotiations and discussions with the childcare centre—the Magill Campus Community Children's Centre—as soon as possible to ensure that its lease can be renewed.

I actually take the minister at her word that the government has said they have no intention of stopping work going on there, so that work can take place soon; and other community assets can be protected there. I urge the government to do so, and the Liberal Party certainly will if elected in 2026. I seek leave to continue my remarks.

Debate adjourned on motion of Hon. S.E. Close.

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