Powerlines to be put underground on main street of Virginia as multimillion-dollar upgrade begins
Stobie poles and trees will be removed from the main street of a rapidly growing town north of Adelaide as part of a multimillion-dollar beautification project.
More than $2.6 million will be spent undergrounding power lines in the main street of Virginia.
Playford Council will contribute $877,404 to the project, which will remove Stobie poles and trees along Old Port Wakefield Rd.
Virginia residents will be asked what streetscaping they want from the entrance to Virginia Oval to the intersection of Sheedy and Penfield streets.
A private consultant has been engaged to start obtaining community views on the upgrade, with work tentatively scheduled to start next month.
Playford Council wants to spend an initial $2.652 million on new footpaths, drainage and streetscaping as the horticultural centre experiences record residential growth.
It separately applied for approval to underground the street’s power lines at a cost of $2.63 million.
The streetscaping project was first endorsed by council last year, with elected members voting to provide $1.652 million if a $1 million grant could be obtained.
However, two grant applications have been unsuccessful with a decision pending on a third.
Staff successfully obtained a commitment from a new council elected last November to continue with the project, arguing it was important when applying for grants.
Councillors were told the initial $2.562 million included $1.562 million allocated in the 2018-19 budget, which may need to be increased if grant applications were unsuccessful.
Another $4.3 million would need to be spent finishing the upgrade of the main street and nearby Institute Park.
“The $2.652 million was intended to cover detailed design, localised stormwater drainage, new kerbing and footpaths, new lighting and removal of existing trees and planting of new trees,” says the report.
“Other aspects of the upgrade such as landscaping, street furniture, wayfinding signage and public art will not be undertaken within this budget.”
Mayor Glenn Docherty said approval by the Power Lines Environment Committee (PLEC) to underground the street’s powerlines would help kickstart the upgrade.
Council’s contribution was one third of the total cost.
“Removing the powerlines will have an immediate impact on the town’s beautification, giving it a fresh outlook as we prepare for the upgrade’s next stages,” he said.
Mr Docherty said council also was working with sporting clubs to upgrade tennis and netball courts at Virginia Oval at the cost of $500,000.
It involved widening the court area and installing an acrylic surface, lighting, hitting wall and fencing.
The project follows a $800,000 upgrade to the Virginia Sporting Bodies clubrooms which saw new lighting and a fit-out to the main area, kitchen, amenities and bar.
“We know how important sporting facilities are for not only the health and fitness of the Virginia community, but also its sense of identity,” said Mr Docherty.