SA Election 2018: Labor promises $279 million tram line extension to The Parade in Norwood

TRAMS would return to Norwood for the first time in 60 years, under a $279 million pledge from the State Government — but Opposition Leader Steven Marshall says locals fear the loss of trees and parking.

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OPPOSITION Leader Steven Marshall has rejected a $279 million Labor plan to return trams to his own Norwood-based electorate for the first time in 60 years, saying residents and businesses fear the loss of street trees and parking.

Premier Jay Weatherill made the pledge on Sunday as part of a new plan to extend the city tram network, and hinted that further new lines could be promised between now and the March 17 state election. The 3km new line, dubbed EastLink, would build on a North Tce expansion already underway and terminate at Norwood Place. It would add five stops — on the corner of Rundle Rd and East Tce, Rundle St in Kent Town, Sydenham St in Norwood, Norwood Oval and then Norwood Pl.

It would run every 10 minutes.

Mr Marshall said: “I don’t have people coming to lobby me for the tram. They come to lobby against the tram”.

Tram on The Parade, Norwood, SA in 1909.

“There are other important infrastructure priorities for SA,” he said. “Labor promised this before the last election.

“Traders are very concerned about the loss of on-street parking, locals are extraordinarily concerned about the removal of trees.”

The Parade is a dense street which currently allows two lanes of traffic in each direction. Artists’ impressions of the planned Norwood tram produced by Labor included two lanes of car traffic in each direction, as well as inbound and outbound tram tracks.

The images have tram stops using some space currently taken by median strips with large trees.

Transport and Infrastructure Minister Stephen Mullighan said The Parade had width to work with and detailed designs would be produced with the community to keep parking and trees.

“We’ve had pretty strong feedback to date that people value the trees, and they want them held on to,” he said.

“If we deliver trams in each direction, then we’ve got to choose between how many lanes of traffic we have and how much parking we have at different times of day.

“Solutions might be, for example, that we have two lanes of traffic in each direction but no parking in the morning and afternoon peak.

“These are some of the issues that we will need to work through.”

Before the last state election, Labor produced a future state transport plan which included possible new tram lines to locations including Outer Harbor and Henley Beach.

A previous artist impression of trams along The Parade, Norwood.

Mr Weatherill said the routes were selected after “extensive consultation and investigations”.

He said a $5 million fund would help promote that businesses were still open during the build, and the pledge showed Labor’s ongoing commitment to major infrastructure.

Trams are part of a $2 billion jobs and construction package pitched by Labor last week, that includes new plans for an Upper Spencer Gulf port and elimination of seven level crossings.

Prior to the last state election, Labor released plans for a major expansion of the tram network that included the possibility of lines to locations including Henley Beach and Outer Harbor.

Norwood is the centre of the state seat of Dunstan, held by Opposition Leader Steven Marshall.

Historically a key marginal, he faces challenges from both Labor and SA Best.

Mr Weatherill said preference would be given to employing local workers and businesses on the build.

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