Constable Hyde Memorial Gardens to be retained as open space by State Government
PEOPLE power has saved a Leabrook park named in honour of a fallen policeman which was at risk of being sold to developers.
PEOPLE power has saved a Leabrook park named in honour of a fallen policeman which was at risk of being sold to developers.
The State Government has confirmed Contstable Hyde Memorial Gardens will remain a park - more than two months after it said it would sell the land to developers if Burnside Council could not buy it.
But it is still unclear if the council, which has maintained the gardens since 1980, will have to swap land to secure the park or if the government will gift it to the council.
Save Constable Hyde Memorial Gardens Residents Group head Graeme Bethune said it was a good result for the community.
"It was hard to find anyone in favour of developing the park," Mr Bethune said.
In a letter to Mr Bethune, Hartley state Labor MP Grace Portolesi confirmed the park would not be sold to developers.
MORE: Battle to save Constable Hyde Memorial Gardens in Leabrook to become a state election issue
The park is not in Hartley, which has a margin of 0.5 per cent, but is on the cusp.
Liberal candidate for Hartley Vincent Tarzia had also promised to save the park if his party won the March 15 election.
Marryatville traders played a key role in getting 1300 signatures on the petition presented to the council.
But Health on Kensington owner Chris Heinrich - who has helped maintain a portion of the land for the past decade - said it was still up to government-body Renewal SA to come up with an arrangement with the council for the park's ownership.
"The bottom line is that we need to see something in writing," Dr Heinrich said.
Burnside Council Mayor David Parkin was pleased both political parties had vowed to retain the park as open space.
MORE: State Government moves to sell Constable Hyde Memorial Gardens in Leabrook
But he said the council still had not met with the government about the future management of the memorial gardens.
In October, the Education Department declared the 4000sq m parcel of land - at the corner of Kensington Rd and Tusmore Ave - as surplus, handing it over to Renewal SA to sell.
The move was met with strong opposition from the council, SA Historical Society, SA Police and residents.
Constable Hyde Memorial Gardens was named in honour of Foot Constable William Hyde who was killed in the line of duty on January 9, 1909.