City Deal to re-energise Adelaide getting closer following high-level discussions

SOUTH Australia is the only state yet to strike a “City Deal” with the Turnbull Government. Premier Steven Marshall is looking to change that.

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PREMIER Steven Marshall is in high-level talks with the Turnbull Government on a plan to re-energise the CBD that has made it to the Prime Minister.

Federal Infrastructure Department officials have confirmed “discussions are ongoing” for an Adelaide City Deal but the details are yet to be finalised.

The Advertiser understands the State Government wants the plan to involve the redevelopment of the old Royal Adelaide Hospital site.

South Australia is currently the only state which has not struck a “City Deal” with the Federal Government.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has written to the State Government to seek its interest in and views around a deal. Marhsall was understood to have directly raised it with the PM.

The old RAH site on North Tce has been earmarked as a good location for Adelaide’s first City Deal. Picture: Dean Martin

Infrastructure Department deputy secretary Luke Yeaman told a Senate hearing “discussions are ongoing”.

“We know there are discussions taking place at the political level with the South Australian Government and the Commonwealth about how we best move ahead with an Adelaide City Deal but that hasn’t been finalised yet,” he said.

Department cities executive director Mary Wiley-Smith said the focus was on capital cities at the moment.

A City Deal begins with the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Federal and State governments, which commits both levels of government to tackling a growing issue.

It brings together the three levels of government – federal, state and local – as well as the community and private enterprise to create partnerships in one place.

Planning, investment and governance on the site are then streamlined to help drive quick outcomes.

The most recent to be signed off was in Perth last month, when they struck a deal around congestion issues, centred on the public transport network into which the Federal Government pumped $1.05 billion.

Education leaders have suggested transforming the old RAH site into a global hi-tech hub as the centre of such a deal for SA.

University of Adelaide Vice-Chancellor Peter Rathjen has been vocal on the matter but was last week slammed by Turnbull Cabinet Minister Christopher Pyne.

Mr Pyne made it clear the State Government owned the site and throwing new ideas into the mix would stop the “momentum of decisions”.

The SA Liberals have already committed to a vision for the site during the election campaign for a hospitality and chef school and a National Gallery for Aboriginal Art and Culture.

The Liberal plan also included an innovation incubator and start-up hub, which could easily make good on Prof Rathjen’s vision to make the site Adelaide’s silicon valley.

A spokeswoman for Mr Marshall said the State Government was working with the Federal Government on a range of initiatives to revitalise the CBD.

The Advertiser has also sought comment from the Federal Government.