by Shane Sody

In announcing the State Government's latest proposed attack on Adelaide's heritage, Premier Peter Malinauskas claimed that you (and State MPs) must make a binary choice.

The State Government is drawing up legislation which, if passed, would allow a $3 billion new Women’s and Children’s Hospital to replace the Thebarton Police barracks and much of Kate Cocks Park in Park 27 of your Adelaide Park Lands.

The Premier is trying to portray this as a simple yes-no question. In effect, he is asking politicians and the public to decide between a great new hospital, OR protection of built heritage and Park Lands heritage.

However this furphy, of a binary choice, is ridiculous. There is no need to choose between the two. It shows a stunning lack of imagination to suggest that such a choice is required.

The proposed site of the new Women's and Children's Hospital would destroy not only the century-old heritage listed Thebarton Police barracks but would also confiscate a significant swathe of Kate Cocks Park within your National Heritage-listed Open Green Public Adelaide Park Lands.

There is a petition circulating which focusses on the threatened heritage Police barracks but also acknowledges the threat to your Park Lands.

This Park contains a heritage-listed grove of ancient olive trees, planted in the 1860’s.

An artist’s impression released by the State Government shows an eight-storey car park obliterating this forest in Kate Cocks Park:

The Premier’s plan would see an eight-storey car park erected, on Kate Cocks Park, destroying most of the 15 she-oaks and 38 olive trees pictured above.

The Premier has dismissed the suggestion advanced by the Adelaide Park Lands Association and others that the ideal site for a new Women’s and Children’s hospital would be across North Terrace incorporating the old Newmarket Hotel and potentially other adjacent land.

The site of the Newmarket Hotel opposite the RAH has been assessed as suitable for two buildings of up to 32 storeys each, (even while protecting the old hotel building) so there would be no problem finding space for sufficient hospital facilities.

The two hospitals could be linked by an air bridge; as pictured below.

City Council North Ward election candidate Sandy Wilkinson suggests the same site with a pedestrian tunnel rather than an air bridge. Mr Wilkinson has posted this concept on his Facebook page.

Mr Malinauskas claimed that this proposed site would be difficult for ambulance access - apparently unwilling to consider any engineering solution.

The false notion of a binary choice has been rolled out countless times throughout Adelaide's history to justify a never ending stream of attacks on this City's irreplaceable garland of green.

It’s been likened to Egypt selling off the pyramids:

The only difference this time, is that due to a lack of innovative thinking within Government, built heritage (the Thebarton Police barracks) is now joining your Park Lands heritage in the firing line as well.

Land can always be purchased for Government purposes. The cost of purchasing sufficient City land for a new Women's and Children's Hospital would be a miniscule proportion of this project's suggested $3 billion budget.

Providing new infrastructure and protecting heritage are not mutually exclusive. They never have been.

WHAT ABOUT THE FORMER PROPOSED SITE?

This garden off Port Road, within your Park 27, was chosen by the previous State Liberal Government as its preferred site for the new Women’s and Children’s Hospital.

On 22 August 2022, we wrote to the Premier urging reconsideration of a site across North Terrace in the CBD; and saving this Park 27 site for future generations to enjoy. We urged the Premier to consider saving Adelaide’s Park Lands as part of the Government’s overall health strategy.

This Park 27 area, next to the Royal Adelaide hospital, was landscaped several years ago, to provide a pleasant garden setting for patients, staff and visitors to the RAH. It would be a setback for public health if it were to be destroyed, especially when there is an alternative, viable, non-Park Lands site available for a new Women’s and Children’s Hospital.

Our letter to the Premier cited research on the health benefits of spending time in nature, and reminded him of several Park Lands sites that are presently under threat from various Government projects.

We also urged the Premier to work towards strengthening legal protection for your Open Green Public Park Lands.

The latest proposal for the new Women’s and Children’s Hospital does preserve this garden site, but only temporarily. The State Government’s announcement of 27 September 2022 refers to this garden as “RAH Future Expansion Space.”

If you think Adelaide can do better than this, then contact your member of State Parliament and urge them not to support the proposed Government legislation.