Planning reform could aid Crows’ push for new Parklands home
Critics of the Crows’ bid to move to the North Adelaide parklands claim that planning rules have been altered to allow the project.
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A proposed overhaul of Parklands planning rules opens the door to the Adelaide Crows’ controversial bid to build a $65 million headquarters, critics say.
Opponents of the Crows’ mooted relocation to the Adelaide Aquatic Centre site claim the State Government has drafted new planning controls that would remove any obstacles to the project.
But the criticism has been rejected by the head of the commission overseeing statewide planning reforms.
The Crows have developed secret plans to build a multi-storey building on the Adelaide City Council-owned site, raising concerns the council is about to gift public space for commercial enterprise.
The angst has been heightened by provisions in the recently released draft statewide Planning and Design Code, governing future development in the Parklands and specifically the aquatic centre site.
The draft code, out for public consultation, permits development at the aquatic centre site to “consolidate and replace existing buildings with recreational sporting clubrooms, facilities and associated administrative functions”.
Adelaide Park Lands Preservation Association president Shane Sody said that was significant departure from previous more restrictive council planning policies and was a “massive opening of the doors” to development in the Parklands.
“This is the first apparent intervention of the State Government in clearing any obstacles to what the Crows want,” he said.
Former councillor and deputy lord mayor David Plumridge said the planning and design code had been written to suit a “fait accompli” for the club.
“If you read (the code) it is quite clear that they have written in language almost purpose-made for what the Crows would want to establish and which would allow the council to redevelop its ailing aquatic centre,” he said.
“It is untenable for the planning codes to be changed in such a radical way as to give almost unassailable permission for the alienation of these precious Parklands for a major commercial development.”
He said this was particularly the case in the face of “strong and justified public opposition” to proposals to “rob the public of access to Park 2” – site of the aquatic centre.
The Federal Government has pledged $15 million to help the club move from West Lakes to the Parklands.
Lord Mayor Sandy Verschoor and a dominant faction of the council are supportive of the Crows’ aquatic centre bid.
In June, the council gave the Crows permission to start developing formal plans for its headquarters at the aquatic centre site. Plans for the training and administration complex have not yet been made public.
Former councillor Ralph Clarke said his interpretation of the code was that it had been “drawn up expressly to fit the Crows’ agenda”.
In March, The Advertiser revealed that the aquatic centre, which costs the council at least $700,000 to operate, needs up to $15 million to be brought up to modern standards.
In a statement, Michael Lennon, head of the State Planning Commission, said the commission gave its “absolute assurance” the Parklands policy had not been written with “any development application in mind”.
He did not answer if an AFL club’s HQ would fit the draft code’s description of “recreational clubrooms, facilities and associated administrative functions”.
The council’s planning, design and development associate director Shanti Ditter said in an emailed statement that the council had no input to or prior knowledge of the draft code’s content prior to its release on October 1.
“The City of Adelaide has not yet reviewed the code for the Park Lands, and consequently it is premature for us to make comment on this proposal,” she said.
She said the Crows have not lodged a formal proposal for the site.
“There would be comprehensive community consultation if a formal proposal was lodged. No timeline has been set for this yet,” she said.
Compare the rules:
Current Adelaide City Council Development Plan
Extensions to or new buildings at the Adelaide Aquatic Centre should be restricted unless they consolidate and replace existing buildings with structures more appropriate to the Parklands environment and with no increase in total floor area. Other than this, no additional buildings should be permitted.
Draft Planning and Design Code
Development at the Adelaide Aquatic Centre site to consolidate and replace existing buildings with recreational sporting clubrooms, facilities and associated administrative functions.
*The code has no definition of recreational sporting clubrooms