Old Transport SA Car Park History

Introduction

This article contains background information on Allottment 13, Joslin accessed off Holton Court, St Peters which is known as the Transport SA Car Park and is owned by the Commissioner of Highways. The primary source of information are the minutes of meetings of the Norwood, Payneham & St Peters Council. For two decades the council have requested multiple times that the car park is included in the River Torrens Linear Park.

The position of SPRA as outlined in the Old Transport SA Car Park GARP Response is consistent with the Council's request to have the car park included within the River Torrens Linear Park.

Contents

Council Resolution (September 2006)

In September 2006, the council opposed the ommission of the Commissioner of Highways car park from the River Torrens Linear Park Plan.

The River Torrens Linear Park Act 2006 requires the preparation of a plan which defines the boundary of the River Torrens Linear Park. The plan will be lodged in the General Registry Office (GRO). All publicly owned land within the boundary will be defined as part of the River Torrens Linear Park and cannot be sold out of public ownership without the approval of both Houses of Parliament.

The recommendation presented to the council was:

In addition, the Council may want to consider whether the Commissioner of Highways car park which services the Transport SA building at Walkerville should be included within the River Torrens Linear Park. The land is zoned Residential 1 and is physically surrounded by River Torrens Linear Park land, except for the access road to the car park.

The council voted to approve the recommendation that:

That the Chief Executive Officer (or delegate) be authorised to take such actions that are deemed appropriate or necessary to impress upon the State Government this Council’s conviction that Allotment 13 off Holton Court, Joslin should be included now within the River Torrens Linear Park.

That the previous use of Allotment 13 be investigated.

Further details can be found in the "Minutes of the Meeting of Council Held on 4 September 2006" in Section 10.11 :River Torrens Linear Park Act 2006 – Preparation of Plan to Define Relevant Land".

Impact on Parking of Sale (January 2007)

The council resolved that:

It opposes the omission of Allotment 13 off Holton Court, Joslin currently owned by the
Commissioner of Highways from the defined River Torrens Linear Park and requests that this parcel
of land be included now for the following reasons:

  • it naturally fits within the River Torrens Linear Park;
  • not to include it is highly incongruous to the intention of the River Torrens Linear Park Act to ensure the protection of the River Torrens Linear Park as a world-class asset for the benefit of present and future generations; and
  • it will provide safeguards against any transfer of the land away from public ownership.

Further details can be found in the "Minutes of the Meeting of Council Held on 15 September 2007" in Section 6.1
Questions with Notice - Impact on Parking Resulting from the Possible Sale of Transport SA Car Park – Allotment 13, off Holton Court, Joslin".

Inclusion of Transport SA Car Park in River Torrens Linear Park (July 2010)

Councillor John Minney submitted a notice of motion that he Council confirms its position made in September 2006 that the car park be included in the River Torrens Linear Park. The following reasons were given:

With the sale of the former Highways Department building to developers for retail, residential and hotel type accommodation, the need for this facility (the carpark) in our City is no longer applicable and as this site was formerly for the better part used as a rubbish tip it is un suitable for any use other than as open space.

It would certainly be an asset to both our local residents as well as those across the River as footbridge access is available and would enable interaction and tourist potential to access the Linear Park through to the City.

In preparation, council staff provided a report on the history of the site, which is reproduced below.

Ownership

Our understanding is that the former Highways Department building and site in Walkerville, has been sold by the State Government, but the associated car park land situated on the St Peters side of the River Torrens, was not part of that transaction.

The land is still owned by the Commissioner of Highways and has not been declared ‘surplus to requirements’ at this stage.

Once it is declared surplus, the State Government protocol will apply, whereby the Land Management Corporation (LMC), will assume the responsibility for disposal of the land, firstly by offering it to other Government Departments and statutory bodies, including the local Council, at fair market value. If it is not required by a public body, it will then be offered for sale on the open market.

History

The known history associated with the land is as follows:

  • Originally the land was excavated for its sand, along with many sites along this section of the River Torrens, before being acquired by the East Torrens Municipal Destructor Trust and filled with local refuse.
  • In 1963, this land was acquired by the Commissioner of Highways in anticipation of it being required as part of a transport corridor to service the north east section of Metropolitan Adelaide.
  • Shortly afterwards, it was developed by the Highways Department as a car park for its employees working in the office building at Walkerville. The pedestrian link to the building was established through the erection of a Bailey bridge across the River, whilst the road link was through Booroo Street, Joslin, into the local street network on this Council’s side of the River Torrens.

In 1976, the State Government enacted the River Torrens Land Acquisition Act, which quarantined development within 60 metres of the top of the river bank and gave the Government the authority to compulsorily acquire land for the park purposes. The majority of the car park was within this arbitrary limit.

As the River Torrens Linear Park became established, a special zone called the Linear Park (River Torrens) Zone was created in the State Development Plan to reinforce the conversion of the land within the Zone to park purposes. However, this land remained zoned as Residential 1.

In 1983, the North East Bus Way Project (a.k.a. O-Bahn) cut a corridor between the car park and the local street network, which resulted in a new access road being constructed that used Holton Court, St Peters, instead of Booroo Street, Joslin. A bridge was also constructed over the bus way. Two thirds of the bridge is situated on the former Holton Court road reserve and the remaining quarter on the access road land comprised within the car park allotment.

Holton Court was a private road owned by the SA Housing Trust at the time, but was declared a public road in July 1995 by the former Town of St Peters after receiving contributions of $4,758 each from the SA Housing Trust, the Department of Transport and the adjoining private landowner reliant on Holton Court for access and services. This amount of $14,274, was based on the estimated cost of resealing Holton Court. No account was taken of the cost of bridge maintenance.

At present, the Commissioner of Highways is maintaining the whole of the bridge, but if the land is sold to a private developer, the Council could become responsible because three quarters of it is a fixture on land owned by the Council. This issue is currently being sorted out.

Given that the site is most probably contaminated as a result of its use as a refuse tip many years ago and it may be unstable due to the filled nature of the land, it is unlikely that it is capable of being developed for housing, without significant funds being spent on its rehabilitation.

The advantages in having the land remain in public ownership and undeveloped are:

  • it prevents the inconsonance of having this island of land within the River Torrens Linear Park remain outside of the Linear Park;
  • it will add to the integrity of the River Torrens Linear Park by providing continuity to the parkland appearance within the Park at this location, if the car park is converted to park land.

At the same time, the previous use of the land and its potential rehabilitation is an issue which will need to be resolved.

The actions sought through the Notice of Motion are aimed at re-affirming the Council’s position in respect to this land.

NPSP Development Plan (February 2021)

The form NPSP Development Plan stated that the Council’s preferred position is for the site to be included in the River Torrens Linear Park.

The second locality is the site of the former Highways Department car park, which is located at the termination of Holton Court, St Peters. In the absence of this site being included in the River Torrens Linear Park, which is the Council’s preferred position, this site has been included in the Medium Density Policy Area, as it provides a unique opportunity for medium density housing with good pedestrian access to the Walkerville Town Centre and bus routes into the City, subject to any necessary remediation of the land.

The current amenity of this locality is relatively poor, with the O’Bahn track creating a barrier between the site and the adjacent residential localities in St Peters and Joslin. The site is also located adjacent to the steep bank of the River Torrens, where bank stability issues will need to be addressed in any future development.

Access along the Linear Park in this locality is via a shared path running adjacent to the eastern side of the site. Development should seek to improve public access through this section of the Linear Park and into neighbouring Walkerville.

Building heights of up to three (3) storeys will be considered for development on this site. Where any reduction in private open space is sought, the development will ensure that good access to usable communal open space and/or the River Torrens Linear Park is provided.

Council Submission to GARP Discussion Paper (November 2023)

In the Council's response ot the Greater Adelaide Regional Development Discussion Paper it was reiterated that the car park should be included in the River Torrens Linear Park as part of the Metropolitan Open Space System (MOSS).

The submission included this statement:

Another site depicted as a potential investigation area is a former State Government carparking area at Holton Court, St Peters near the OBahn Busway and River Torrens. Intensive residential development of this site has a range of constraints, as previously advised by the Council, and the preferred option is inclusion in the River Torrens Linear Park as part of the Metropolitan Open Space System.