Lockleys Riding Club concerned Breakout Creek Wetlands project could signal the end of horses on the River Torrens
Horses have grazed on the banks of the River Torrens for decades. But the Lockleys Riding Club is concerned a $12 million wetlands project could send them galloping.
West & Beaches
Don't miss out on the headlines from West & Beaches. Followed categories will be added to My News.
- Breakout Creek linear park project to begin next year
- How to get the most out of your Advertiser digital subscription
Lockleys Riding Club fears a $12 million upgrade to the River Torrens at West Beach could signal the end of a decades-old tradition of horses grazing on its banks.
The concept plan for the final stage of the Breakout Creek Wetland project limits horses to half of the southern side of the river, between Tapleys Hill Rd and the outlet.
Currently, horses are agisted on both sides of the river, from Tapleys Hill Rd to Seaview Rd.
Club president Gerard Ryan said to ensure the club survived, it needed a minimum of 14 horses, which was not feasible under what was being proposed.
“We’re happy to reduce our horses down from 20 to 14,” Mr Ryan said.
“To do that we ideally still need half the river space, to agist them and make sure the club survives financially.”
Mr Ryan was concerned only allowing horses on 25 per cent of the project area would degrade the pasture to a point that it would stop growing.
He said, as a compromise, the club had suggested two areas – between Apex Park and Tapleys Hill Rd, and Apex Park and the outlet – be allocated to the horses and they be used on a rotation basis.
This would ensure more of Breakout Creek could be accessed by walkers at any one time.
“We have to make the compromise,” Mr Ryan said.
“We’re down to the last hurrah for us.”
Brenton Grear, the director of Green Adelaide, which is managing the project, said keeping horses on the river’s banks was one of its nine design principles.
Other principles included more footbridges, paths and vegetation.
MORE NEWS
Succulents stolen from verge out the front of Mile End home
Karkoo Nursery owners snubbed as site set to be sold to fund Blackwood Hub
Coopers Brewery launches new Hazy IPA to tape into global trend
Mr Grear said under the concept plan, the area allocated for the horses included greater pasture management including irrigation and more infrastructure around feeding troughs.
He said the compromise proposal put forward from the riding club was still on the table, and that designers were determining if it could be incorporated into the plan.
“We’re now moving to the design phase,” Mr Grear said.
“Once we have a design, we will take it to the funding partners.
“Ideally we would like to start work down there in January.”
The Breakout Creek Wetland project, which aims to restore and rehabilitate the river, is a joint initiative between West Torrens and Charles Sturt councils, the Federal Government, DPTI and Green Adelaide.
A 500m stretch of the creek was upgraded in 1999 upstream of Henley Beach Rd and another stage was completed between Henley Beach and Tapleys Hill roads in 2010.