Residents want Hope Valley Reservoir open to the public

RESIDENTS have started a campaign for the land around Hope Valley Reservoir to be opened for walkers and picnickers, fuelling a political debate that has divided the major parties ahead of the state election.

Stephen Ross and the neighbourhood kids are calling for the government to open Hope Valley Reservoir. Picture: AAP/Roy VanDerVegt

RESIDENTS have started a campaign for the land around Hope Valley Reservoir to be opened for walkers and picnickers, fuelling a political debate that has divided the major parties ahead of the March state election.

Stephen Ross, who has lived in the area for about 20 years, said it was time for the State Government to open the gates to the reservoir.

More than 300 people have backed his call by joining a new Facebook page called “Hope Valley Reservoir — Time to open the gates”.

“It would be nice to go for a walk along the reservoir,” Mr Ross said.

“The government like to promote nature play for kids — it’s a perfect opportunity for nature play for everyone.”

Security was tightened at South Australian reservoirs in 2003 in the wake of the 9/11 terrorism attack and concerns that access could pose a threat to water supply.

Hope Valley Reservoir. Source: File

Water Minister Ian Hunter this week said there had never been any official open access to Hope Valley Reservoir, and the government was opposed to changing its policy because it posed a risk to the security of safe, clean and affordable water.

“Hope Valley is the second oldest reservoir in Adelaide and may have had informal, unapproved access during the last century before the area started to be more urbanised,” Mr Hunter said.

He hit out at a Liberal Party promise to open the reservoir if elected in March.

“The Liberal policy is silent on the impact to people’s water bills to pay for the increased costs of treating water and infrastructure like public toilets in opening up our drinking-water reservoirs for swimming, boating and other recreational purposes,” he said.

“Will the Liberals fund this policy by raising SA Water bills?”

Liberal candidate for Newland Richard Harvey said opening up the reservoir would allow residents to fish, kayak, cycle, hike, paddle-board or swim in it.

“The Hope Valley Reservoir ... would be a perfect weekend activity for the thousands of families and other residents just minutes from this metropolitan reservoir,” Mr Harvey said.

Newland Labor MP Tom Kenyon said the reservoir flowed directly into SA Water pipes

and “we absolutely do not want any contamination there”.

The CSIRO declined to comment when asked by the NorthEastern Weekly if opening the reservoir would have the potential to contaminate water.

Reservoirs at the Barossa Valley, Mt Bold and Mt Crawford are open to the public, but Happy Valley, Kangaroo Creek, Little Para, Millbrook and Myponga are all off limits.

Hope Valley is in the marginal state seat of Newland, which Mr Kenyon won for Labor in 2014 but is now a notional Liberal seat following a boundary redistribution.