SA Best pledge for study to find use for Fort Largs historic buildings

SA BEST would negotiate $500,000 for a study into possible future uses of state heritage buildings at Fort Largs if it holds the balance of power after the state election.

A cannon at Fort Largs. Picture: Mark Brake

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SA BEST would negotiate $500,000 for a study into possible future uses of state heritage buildings at Fort Largs if it holds the balance of power after the state election.

Davenport SA Best candidate Karen Hockley told a National Trust heritage forum last week that the party believed the Taperoo site was of “state significance”.

“We think we need to do a study to understand what needs to be done immediately to preserve the site and make sure it doesn’t deteriorate and then what needs to happen on that site for the medium and long term,” Ms Hockley said.

“It should contribute to our heritage tourism industry, and if we do that it should be self-sustaining.”

What Fort Largs could look like when developed.

The State Government announced plans for AV Jennings to develop the 7.4ha site in 2016, with the National Trust’s SA branch taking ownership of the heritage-listed fort.

The project is aimed at restoration, along with eventual resumption of public access.

However, the proposal has remained dormant since then.

The fort was built in 1878 as a coastal protection at a time when Russian invasion was feared.

Environment Minister Ian Hunter said slow progress in negotiations between the government and the National Trust boiled down to money.

“My understanding is what’s been asked for is unrealistic,” Mr Hunter said.

“The people involved need to come back to the negotiating table to come up with a more realistic proposal.”

Opposition environment spokesman David Speirs said the heritage-listed buildings had “significant commercial development potential”.

“I would hope a Liberal government would be able advance that development and it would enable a dividend from that development to contribute toward a National Trust project to preserve and revitalise the Fort Largs location,” Mr Speirs said.

“Preservation is important but I think preservation that leads to revitalisation is even more important.”

The government sold the site to recoup the cost of its $53 million new police academy nearby.