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Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2010-06-24 Daily Xml
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OPEN SPACE FUNDING

The Hon. B.V. FINNIGAN (15:17): My question is to the Minister for Urban Development and Planning. The state government is recognised for providing funding to assist in the creation and improvement of public spaces for the enjoyment of all South Australians. Will the Leader of the Government advise of any recent funding provided to local councils to assist in improving our public spaces across our state?

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY (Minister for Mineral Resources Development, Minister for Urban Development and Planning, Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister Assisting the Premier in Public Sector Management) (15:17): The state government is committed to providing quality open space areas for the benefit of all South Australians to use and enjoy. High quality open space in our community is more than just providing beautiful spaces that can be admired from afar. Open space that is truly appreciated by the community are those areas not only developed with great design principles but that are also actively used by members of local communities, as well as visitors.

I was most pleased to recently announce the recipients of state government assistance through the latest round of the Planning and Development Fund's Open Space and Places for People grants. As some members would be aware, the state government through the Planning and Development Fund provides significant financial assistance to local government for the planning, purchase and development of quality open spaces across South Australia.

The Open Space program provides funding for projects designed to assist in the preservation, enhancement and enjoyment of open space areas containing elements of natural beauty, conservation significance and cultural value. The program is specifically for works relating to conservation and recreation on public land.

The principal objective of the Places for People program is to provide funding to revitalise or create public spaces that are important to the social, cultural and economic life of their communities. The secondary aim of the program is to foster a culture of strategic urban design in councils, establishing practices that will benefit future public realm projects. The program is specifically for works relating to conservation and recreation on public land. Preference is given to projects that feature a high degree of informal recreation, such as walking and cycling, informal ball games and picnicking, that is compatible with the surrounding environment.

This government has now invested more than $70 million in the past eight years to encourage councils and community groups to develop inviting public space in their local areas. More than $5 million in funding has been provided to local government as part of the most recent Open Space and Places for People grants to provide and improve public spaces in South Australia.

The significance of this open space funding to local government is even more pronounced when we consider that the 2009-10 commitment to these programs has been more than $19 million. A total of 24 significant projects have received funding through the latest round of grants across South Australia, which is one of the highest number of projects ever funded in a single grant round.

Communities across South Australia have received funding for the development of a range of exciting projects, from Victor Harbor and Robe to Leigh Creek and Elliston and, within the Adelaide metropolitan region, from Willunga to Salisbury North and from Semaphore Park to Unley. I would like to highlight a handful of the projects in the latest round to give members an idea of the local initiatives we are supporting.

The City of Charles Sturt, for example, will receive $1.1 million for its Fort Glanville construction project, the latest stage in the development of the coast park along the metropolitan foreshore. This project covers a section of the coast park at Fort Glanville from Bower Road to Recreation Parade at Semaphore Park. This grant will assist the council to fund the construction of a three metre wide dual-use recreational park as well as significant environmental improvements to the dune vegetation, outdoor furniture, artistic signage highlighting historic Fort Glanville, and educational information on the dunes, as well as facilities at Port Malcolm Reserve and the adjoining Semaphore Surf Lifesaving Club.

The Wattle Range Council is to receive $245,000 funding for its Mary MacKillop precinct project. The canonisation of Mary MacKillop in October this year is expected to result in a large increase in visitors to Penola, and this project will provide for a range of improvements that will benefit not only visitors to Penola but also the local community.

The project will provide for the upgrade and extension of the heritage trail footpath network, improved street lighting, street furniture, landscaping and the upgrade of Mary MacKillop Park, as well as the reduction of road widths and the widening of footpaths to encourage pedestrian movement and outdoor dining.

The City of Marion will receive $307,000 and the City of Unley will receive $166,000 for work to be undertaken to the Mike Turtur Bikeway, which was formerly known as Tramway Park. This funding will go towards the bikeway works north from Morphett Road to Greenhill Road, adjoining an already completed section from Greenhill Road to South Terrace in the city.

This handful of initiatives, along with other projects to receive funding from the Planning and Development Fund, will provide long-term benefits to local communities as well as visitors. Just as important as improving the look of suburbs and country towns, the landscaping and associated construction works provide jobs and training to many local tradespeople, which is, of course, particularly important for rural and regional communities.

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