Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2010-06-30 Daily Xml

Contents

Question Time

ADELAIDE OVAL

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY (Leader of the Opposition) (14:23): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for the City of Adelaide a question in relation to the net gain of Parklands as a result of the Adelaide Oval redevelopment.

Leave granted.

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: In the past couple of weeks there has been an attempt by various sources in the government—I think, minister Foley, in particular, and also the Premier, the Hon. Mike Rann—saying that there would be an encroachment of between nine and 15 metres into the Parklands. This was something that the opposition highlighted during the election campaign, that there would be significant encroachment on the Parklands.

The Hon. P. Holloway: If we build a new oval near the Adelaide High School it would be much more encroachment than that.

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: I think the minister's interjections are out of order, but I would like to point out that we didn't ever want to build one near the Adelaide High School. It was on the rail yards, not a hospital as your flawed decision does.

The PRESIDENT: Order! The Hon. Mr Ridgway and the honourable minister will not debate.

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: The Deputy Premier has been saying that there will be a net gain of Parklands with the proposed redevelopment of Adelaide Oval. My questions are:

1. How many extra square metres of Parklands are we to see?

2. How many of the existing trees will be removed and what is the fate of the War Memorial Oak, planted by the governor, Sir Henry Galway, in 1914, which is, I think, the only heritage-listed tree in the precinct?

3. Will the new Parklands be grassed, open space with trees?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for State/Local Government Relations, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for Consumer Affairs, Minister for Government Enterprises, Minister for the City of Adelaide) (14:25): I thank the honourable member for his questions; indeed, I have already put on record answers to questions around similar issues. I have already said in this place that the details of the project are yet to be completed. My understanding is that the Stadium Management Authority has been asked to prepare a plan for the redevelopment, and I am advised that they were anticipating a legally binding agreement between the sporting codes to be signed by 1 July.

Minister Conlon, as the Minister for Infrastructure, has now announced that he will take charge of the Adelaide Oval redevelopment once the Stadium Management Authority has signed off on the project. It is appropriate that the Minister for Infrastructure should take the lead on this very important project because issues such as car parking, where we might site the bridge, and interaction with other elements of the project, will be managed by the state government's infrastructure people. Given that the Minister for Infrastructure is now the appropriate lead minister, I am happy to refer those questions to the appropriate minister in another place and bring back a response.

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Mr Ridgway has a supplementary question.