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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2)
2021-10-27 Daily Xml
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Motions

Riverbank Arena

Adjourned debate on motion of the Hon. R.A. Simms:

That this council—

1. Notes that the site proposed by the state government for a ‘Riverbank Arena’, Helen Mayo Park (Park 27), is designated Parklands under the Adelaide Park Lands Act 2005;

2. Notes that the Adelaide Parklands and city layout are listed on the national heritage register and parts of the proposed site fall within the area of the listing;

3. Notes that the proposed development of the site could impact adversely on the heritage values of the Parklands; and

4. Opposes the state government developing Helen Mayo Park on the basis that this represents a further erosion of the Parklands that is inconsistent with its status as a nationally heritage listed site.

(Continued from 22 September 2021.)

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE (20:51): I have said before in this chamber that I am proud to call the square that surrounds my young family's house—that being North Terrace, South Terrace, East Terrace and West Terrace—my home. The streets that link these terraces create a picture of our CBD. This feature is protected by a frame. So valuable is this frame, it is heritage listed.

That frame is our Parklands and they hold the stories that symbolise our culture and our heritage, but they also help make Adelaide the world's third most livable city, moving it up seven places to take the top spot in the nation from Melbourne. When you walk, ride, scoot, or for those who can, run around our city's picture frame, you do start to question the names of the parks—just like Helen Mayo.

I thank the Hon. Rob Simms for bringing this motion to our chamber. As the Labor candidate for Adelaide, Lucy Hood, has made clear: Labor will support this motion. The story of Helen Mayo is one I enjoy sharing with my three young city-living girls. Helen was an advocate for challenging the norms, to stand up for those voices who were not necessarily the loudest, like young mums. Public life and community were at the heart of Helen Mayo's distinguished career.

As a young child, Helen had never heard of a female doctor before or seen one, but she was set on pursuing a career in medicine. However, Helen's father was advised by the university that she was too young to commence studies in medicine. Helen went on to seek her father's approval to study medicine in 1898. She was 20. The rest, as they say, is history.

In 2017, the City of Adelaide named a park in honour of a progressive medical pioneer. It is a park nestled on the edge of the Riverbank that connects our established Parklands that are linked together by our city's popular bike and walking trails, the Helen Mayo Park.

Dr Mayo was only the second woman to gain a medical degree from the University of Adelaide. She went on to work at the Adelaide hospital and later established its vaccine department. She was the first woman to be awarded a Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Adelaide and, in 1914, became the first woman university councillor in Australia. An advocate for educating women for motherhood, Mayo's efforts led to the Mothers' and Babies' Health Association being formed in 1927, which eventually served the whole state. Mayo passed away on 13 November 1967, with the Medical Journal of Australia attributing the success of South Australia's infant welfare system to her efforts.

Helen defied the odds against the large institutions that pushed back on her dream to become a doctor. Now we need to push back on this Liberal government, whose only vision is to build a $662 million basketball stadium that will consume this established park and walking trail space named after Dr Helen Mayo. South Australians are rightfully questioning why this government is pursuing a basketball stadium in the middle of a health pandemic, when we have the worst ramping wait times in our state's history.

The government's strange priority focus does not end there. They are also proposing what has been described by the Adelaide Park Lands Association as the single biggest attack on our open green public lands in their 184-year history. Not only is the Marshall Liberal government proposing to extend an infrastructure footprint over the Helen Mayo Park area but also over Elder Park, Pinky Flat and the Torrens itself. We took the title as the most livable city in our nation from Melbourne without a basketball stadium, without permanent commercial bars, cafes and shops being built on the Torrens River, Pinky Flat or Elder Park.

One has every right to ask why this government is looking to put this envied title at risk. They have every right to ask why the member for Adelaide, Minister Rachel Sanderson, has been completely quiet on her government building a $662 million basketball stadium, a new infrastructure footprint that consumes Helen Mayo. They have every reason to ask why the local member did not bother to give her time and join the community rally to save Helen Mayo Park and why she did not stop this from progressing through cabinet.

CBD businesses are calling out for help, and this is help they are looking for. Developers and shop owners are standing with residents and asking why this government is looking to take foot traffic away from the CBD. They are looking to take foot traffic to the other side of the river when their doors are close to being slammed shut. The focus of this government should be on our existing CBD, not on creating further uncertainty by taking the foot traffic away from them. This government has the wrong priorities because they are out of touch and not ready to be leaders. Thank you for bringing this to the parliament.

The Hon. F. PANGALLO (20:57): I rise to speak on behalf of SA-Best in support of the Hon. Robert Simms' motion. SA-Best strongly supports and acknowledges our heritage listed Parklands and the special place this unique space within the square mile of Adelaide holds for all South Australians and, of course, especially Indigenous guardians, the Kaurna people. We recognise that sometimes there needs to be some encroachment for facilities for us to enjoy. We currently have the dilapidated Aquatic Centre, for instance. There is the Adelaide Oval, some of Lot Fourteen, the new RAH and the proposed Women's and Children's Hospital.

You might recall that the Stadium Management Authority at one point wanted a flying fox or a cable ride from the roof of the Riverbank stadium to the banks of the Torrens. That would have led to other ideas to exploit this beauty spot at Pinky Flat. But, as the Lord Mayor has already pointed out, we need to be mindful of just what we build there. We do not want to see monoliths. We would balk at any type of entertainment development on Pinky Flat. She reminded us just how much of the original space allocated as Parklands has already been swallowed up.

It was pleasing to see Adelaide City Council, through a motion by Councillor Phillip Martin, reject a bid by the South Australian government to rezone or subzone 71 hectares of Parklands. According to the PlanSA/YourSAy websites, the proposed changes to the Planning and Design Code would progress projects of state significance, including a multistorey car park associated with the new Women's and Children's Hospital and the Marshall government's 15,000-seated Riverbank basketball stadium that the Premier wants to build at a cost of almost $700 million. It sits on Helen Mayo Park named, of course, in honour of a pioneering medical practitioner in South Australia. Will that mean it will no longer be remembered as Helen Mayo Park, or will the Premier perhaps dub the basketball stadium the 'Helen Mayo Arena'?

From the outset, there were warnings that the State Planning Commission's changes to planning would wreak chaos, confusion and uproar, and that has certainly eventuated in many council jurisdictions, where ratepayers and residents alike are tearing their hair out, with frustrating delays and indecision from a system that we were promised would be simple and eliminate red tape. Well, it has been anything but—there is red tape, yellow tape, masking tape, Gorilla tape and cellophane galore as council planning officers, PlanSA and citizens grapple with the code's applications.

A constituent, Rob McKibbin, has detailed the total frustration experienced with Murray Bridge Council over contradictory advice and inordinate delays that he has been getting over—now wait for it—a shed on a remote piece of property outside Murray Bridge. The council has been requesting he present an image to scale to be used as the basis of showing the shed's location. Do we really need to do this, Mr McKibbin asks? They used Google Earth imagery only to be told that a satellite image cannot be used adjusted to scale. They provided all the appropriately certified engineering drawings. They have been told that they may need to use a draughtsperson at great cost to them.

The same council that used Google Earth to highlight some discrepancies in the plans told Mr McKibbin and his son they could not use Google Earth. Remember that Mr McKibbin used the perfectly acceptable and accurate Google Earth image that was modified to scale. It has become quite comical, but with serious consequences because the delays have meant a $14,000 increase in the quote to erect the shed because the price of steel has gone through the roof. But back to Helen Mayo Park: there are of course other matters to consider there. As Jeffrey Newchurch, an Aboriginal elder, has already pointed out, these new projects may well encroach on Indigenous burial sites. That needs to be addressed before things can proceed. I note there is opposition from the History Council of South Australia as well.

In closing, we support the intent of the Hon. Robert Simms' motion, that any development on our Parklands requires parliament to have some oversight and say.

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (Treasurer) (21:03): The government opposes the motion, and I place on the record the advice from the Minister for Planning and Local Government in the following terms. The Riverbank Precinct is an integral part of the city's identity and a major contributor to its overall vibrancy. The state government is transforming the Riverbank into a world-class health, sporting, educational and biomedical precinct that has strong connections to the city centre and is a drawcard for local, interstate and international visitors, with North Terrace as a premier cultural boulevard. This is being supported through a range of new initiatives in the Riverbank Precinct, such as the new Women's and Children's Hospital.

A number of changes to the Planning and Design Code are being proposed through a code amendment to ensure the government's vision is realised. Since 2018, the government has made in excess of $6 million of direct investment into projects to enhance the Parklands, including the Quentin Kenihan Inclusive Playspace, the new City Skate Park, as well as event infrastructure upgrades to Rymill Park.

The code amendment changes focus on four areas: (1) a world-class health and biomedical precinct; (2) an entertainment precinct that attracts interstate and international visitors; (3) an innovation precinct that grows jobs in the South Australian economy; and (4) an active waterfront precinct that builds on the cultural value and character of the Parklands.

The expanded entertainment precinct is proposed for Helen Mayo Park, to be situated to the west of Montefiore Road, south of the River Torrens and north of the railway line. A section of land in this area is proposed to be rezoned from Adelaide Parklands to city Riverbank zone, entertainment subzone, and a portion of land already in the city Riverbank zone changed from health subzone to entertainment subzone. Much of the proposed site consists of discarded soil, work and storage yards, and car parking, with the majority of the site fenced off to prevent public access. There is no safe public walkway to the small publicly usable area.

The new 15,000-person Riverbank arena proposed for this site will increase convention space for the Adelaide Convention Centre by 5,600 square metres. As I have indicated often, this is essentially the third extension of the Convention Centre that some of us have seen in 30 years. The first one was in the nineties under the former Liberal government, the next one was under Premier Rann and the Labor government and now this third extension of the Convention Centre under the Marshall Liberal government.

However, it will be a multiuser site because it will also cater for entertainment, concerts and court sports such as basketball, netball and tennis. The need for a new arena is clear. As Ticketek Australia's Managing Director, Cameron Hoy, recently provided, 'Adelaide is going to continue to be bypassed by major acts, such as Billie Eilish, until such time as it gets a larger arena.'

The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 is the federal government's central piece of environmental legislation. This act ensures a consistent approach to protect matters of national significance, including national heritage places. In this context, the rezoning does not trigger the need for assessment under that act. However, that act will need to be considered during the detailed design and decision-making stage of any public infrastructure projects which are consequential to this code amendment process.

Consultation on the code amendment concludes today. Subsequently, a report will be created by the State Planning Commission for the Minister for Planning and Local Government to the either support or reject the code amendment. If approved, the code amendment is referred to the Environment, Resources and Development Committee of parliament for review, which occurs within 28 days of coming into effect. This is the appropriate avenue for parliament to consider the proposal. For those reasons outlined by the Minister for Planning and Local Government, on behalf of the government, we strongly oppose the motion.

The Hon. R.A. SIMMS (21:07): In summing-up, I want to thank the honourable members for their contribution to this debate. In particular, I thank the Hon. Emily Bourke from the Labor Party and the Hon. Frank Pangallo from SA-Best for speaking in support of this bill. Of course, I acknowledge the contribution of the Treasurer as well and the position of the government.

The arguments here have been well ventilated, but I do want to emphasise that this debate is about much more than the future of the Helen Mayo Park. It is about the future of our Parklands. If the government presses ahead with this rezoning and this arena on the Riverbank, we put the national heritage listing of our iconic Parklands at risk.

I also note, as the Hon. Frank Pangallo has done, the comments made by Kaurna elder Jeffrey Newchurch to the Adelaide City Council Reconciliation Committee, where he advised the committee that the proposed site for the entertainment arena was of cultural significance. This really needs to be taken into consideration.

Members will also be aware that last night the City Council, of which I was previously a member, voted to oppose this development. I recognise the presence of Councillor Keiran Snape in the gallery, who is someone who has been a strong advocate on the Parklands.

As I say, this is about more than just Helen Mayo Park. I fear there is the potential for this arena to be used as a Trojan Horse, something that could enable a raft of other developments on the Parklands. We know that this Liberal government has a much broader vision for the Parklands in its sites—cafes, restaurants, fixed structures, multistorey buildings, residential apartment towers.

The Hon. S.G. Wade interjecting:

The Hon. R.A. SIMMS: This commercialisation of our public green space—I am not sure why the Minister for Health is calling out. He sounds like he is as aghast as most South Australians are about the proposal, because this is actually part of the code amendment that has gone out for consultation. If we lose our Parklands, we can never get them back.

Earlier today, I introduced a private member's bill to deal with the other elements of this rezoning, ensuring that the parliament has its say on the proposed planning code amendments on the Parklands. If this motion succeeds today, it will send the government a very clear message: hands off our Parklands. I submit that if this motion were successful it would be untenable for the government to push ahead with this rezoning on Helen Mayo Park because to do so would flout the will of a house of this parliament.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. R.A. SIMMS: Again, I hear the members of the government guffawing, but I think it is pretty reasonable to say that when you are talking about public space you consult with the parliament. With that, I put the motion.

Motion carried.

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