Stephen Mullighan: Taxpayers will come first with redevelopment of old Royal Adelaide Hospital site

TAXPAYERS will come first with the redevelopment of the old Royal Adelaide Hospital site, not board members of shareholders, writes Stephen Mullighan.

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THERE is perhaps no other site in Australia which compares to the development opportunity at the old Royal Adelaide Hospital.

A seven-hectare tract of public land next to the East End, the Botanic Garden, Park Lands, on one of Australia’s premier cultural boulevards, soon to be serviced by a free tram, and part of a Riverbank precinct undergoing a complete revitalisation.

Likewise there is perhaps no other site as prominent or significant in reshaping the future of Adelaide.

As a Government we are responsible for ensuring any private bid for this prominent public precinct not only meets the community’s high expectations of what should occur on the site, but also that it represents a compelling deal worthy of this unique development opportunity.

For nearly a year we have been in exclusive and exhaustive negotiations with private developers but in the end their offer wasn’t compelling enough. It just didn’t stack up for taxpayers.

The proposed redevelopment of the old RAH site will now be managed by the Government, rather than in a partnership with a private developer. Picture: John Holland and Commercial & General

So the Government has taken control. We’ll manage the future of the old Royal Adelaide Hospital site ourselves in the same way we have with our award-winning projects at Bowden and Tonsley.

In doing so, we’ll get on with the job of developing the site in the interests of our city and our state, and be able to stage the development with the interests of South Australians at heart, rather than shareholders or board members.

And by developing the old Royal Adelaide Hospital site in this way, we’ll not only retain greater control over what occurs there, but we can also ensure this premium location is not barricaded behind hoardings for decades to come.

Unlike the Liberal Party, we have long been clear about our vision for this site and that vision remains unchanged.

Adelaide Lord Mayor Martin Haese (left) with Urban Development Minister Stephen Mullighan outside the old Royal Adelaide Hospital main entrance. Picture: Dylan Coker

As we outlined in October last year, to be successful this development needs a mix of uses. We’ll start by giving back more than two hectares of the seven-hectare site to the Botanic Garden.

We have started the process of inviting designers and landscape architects to work with the Government and the Botanic Garden on how best to integrate the gardens into the site.

We will celebrate and reuse the unique heritage buildings along North Terrace and Frome Road, and ensure they continue to contribute to the character and charm of the North Terrace boulevard.

The site will also have a strong presence from universities and research institutions and to support this activity, there will be some student and short-stay accommodation.

We remain unchanged in our view that there is a place for residential development on this site — indeed that is critical if we are to maintain activity throughout the day and night for the East end of our city.

But without a private developer needing to make a profit from the site, there does not need to be long-term leasehold apartments. This is a welcome change for many people.

The State Government has taken over the redevelopment of the old Royal Adelaide Hospital site on North Tce.

There will also be an opportunity for a future cultural facility — and we have announced the search for an architect to bring this facility to life.

In the meantime we are getting on with the demolition of the outdated hospital buildings in the eastern part of the precinct.

Hoardings are already going up in preparation for the old East, Cobalt and Hone wings to come down, to make way for public space to be returned to the Botanic Garden.

At the same time we’re getting started with our program of short-term activities to keep drawing people to this part of the city throughout the redevelopment program.

For more than a decade our Government has been focused on turning our vision into a reality for the revitalisation of Adelaide’s Riverbank, whether it’s the iconic Adelaide Oval and Riverbank Bridge, the Royal Adelaide Hospital or the redeveloped Convention Centre.

Works on the Festival Plaza and the Festival Theatre are well underway, as is the construction of the new city high school.

Within weeks the site next door will return to a hive of activity as the first stages of the redevelopment of the old Royal Adelaide Hospital get underway.

STEPHEN MULLIGHAN IS MINISTER FOR URBAN DEVELOPMENT