Alexandrina Council’s Goolwa wharf upgrade sparks 1300 angry voices amid plans to upgrade historic precinct
Frustrated Goolwa locals are demanding changes to a proposed major upgrade of the historic Goolwa Wharf precinct, saying one tents or marquees will “end up in the river”.
SA News
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A major upgrade of the Goolwa Wharf precinct is creating controversy in the local community, with more than 1300 people signing petitions opposing elements of the project.
Among those are plans to build a carpark in Jaralde Park, moving regular markets closer to the riverfront and plans to relocate the Oscar W paddle steamer further south along the wharf, away from its traditional resting place.
The council is yet to receive final costings on the plan, but Alexandrina Council and the state and federal governments have already set aside $8.5m towards the work.
It includes carparking changes, upgrade works to the historic wharf shed to attract new business ventures, more room for outdoor dining, works to improve the Signal Point gallery building and landscaping and path upgrades.
Friends of the Oscar W vice president Paul Hannagan said volunteers were unhappy with plans for the historic vessel to be moored about 150m south of its current spot, in an area much more exposed to the elements.
“This is one of the few places in the world where you can get off a steam train and on to a steam boat,” he said.
“We’d prefer to keep the boat where it is – where it’s been since it came down here in the late 1980s.”
Mr Hannagan said plans to uproot regular markets from Jaralde Park were also causing a stir, as they were currently well protected on windy days.
“They want to make that area the carpark and have the market spread all along the wharf front. If you were standing there at the wharf today trying to put up a marquee, you’d probably take off and end up in the river – it’s extremely windy.”
Grantley Schmidt, who owns Hector’s on the Wharf Cafe, is concerned about plans to remove carparking alongside his eatery.
“Under what’s proposed, people will have to walk across three rail tracks and a road to get to us and the Coorong cruises, Oscar W shed and The Distillery,” he said.
“It seems like an awful lot of money to spend to gain about 25 extra carparks in an area where people don’t want the carpark to be in the first place.”
Alexandrina Mayor Keith Parkes said he understood the community’s concerns about proposals to move the markets and paddle steamer.
He said the council had received 600 submissions received about the plan, “which is fantastic”.
“It shows how passionate and interested that the community have got, and we’ll take all that on board,” Mr Parkes said.
Councillors will have a briefing on the results of consultation on Monday, November 22.
They will decide on the future of elements of the upgrade, at an upcoming meeting.
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