Adelaide City Council to upgrade four major CBD streets after heated debate

Adelaide City Council has passed its 2023/24 budget, which includes major CBD street makeovers – although, nothing like the spending originally planned.

Hutt St in Adelaide’s CBD is one of four major roads to undergo an upgrade.

A spending plan to upgrade the CBD’s main streets has finally been approved after years of debate.

The confirmation of Adelaide City Council’s 2023/24 budget — with an increase in rates revenue confirmed at 10 per cent — brings to an end heated debate about what was planned to be a massive spend on four main streets.

Now approved for upgrades are:

HINDLEY ST: $2.4m for detailed designs, then $12.6m for construction in 2024/25 and 2025/26.

GOUGER ST: $500,000 for plans in 2023/24, then $2m for detailed design in 2024/25 and $12.5 million for construction in 2025/26 and 2026/27.

O’CONNELL ST: $2.5m, for design in 2024/25 and $12.5 million for construction occurring in 2026/27 and 2027/28.

MELBOURNE ST: $1.5m for design work in 2025/26 and $5 million for construction in 2026/27 and 2027/28.

HUTT ST: $2.5m designs in 2024/25 and $10 million for construction occurring in 2025/26 and 2026/27.

The more modest spending came after council rejected the administration’s plans for Hindley St to be funded with $24.7m, Hutt St $30m, Melbourne St $40m and O’Connell St $45m.

But when revealed in April, the lavish plan was immediately attacked by Deputy Mayor Phillip Martin who said the “astronomical” $140m bill was about $30m more than the total of rates collected from businesses and residents each year.

His criticism was supported by Lord Mayor Jane Lomax-Smith who said she feared no major project would be finalised by the council in its current four-year term, which began late last year.

At the Adelaide City Council meeting which approved the budget on Tuesday night, Mr Martin said; “I am delighted to be part of a council that has finally agreed to launch a main street upgrade program”.

“The previous council was deluded that it could deliver these projects but it never did.

“We talked for years and years about upgrades to Hutt St, O’Connell St, Melbourne St, and Gouger St, and that is all we did. We talked. We drew up rough plans that went out to consultation, but nothing ever happened.

“It its first budget this council has finally agreed that it will make improvements in Hindley St, in Hutt St, Gouger St, O’Connell St and Melbourne St.”

Only Councillor Henry Davis spoke against the more modest spending plan.

Mr Davis was repeatedly warned by the Lord Mayor as chair, when he delivered a passionate speech in favour of the $140m projects.

“Why are you trying to silence this, why are you afraid of this,’’ he said.