Education Minister Blair Boyer accuses Adelaide City Council of dragging its heels on land deal

The Adelaide City Council and state government are blaming each other for the $97m expansion hold up, with one “weak at the knees,” the other busy “shuffling the chairs of leadership”.

The $97m expansion of Adelaide Botanic High School to allow for 700 more pupils is being held up by the Adelaide City Council, the Education Minister says.

Blair Boyer has accused the council of “backing away from” a Memorandum of Understanding – which would result in a land swap agreement to allow it go ahead.

But the council said its hands were legally tied, after the Education Department failed to deliver the final MoU document before the caretaker period started on September 6.

The state government wants a slice of land, known as Nellie Raminyemmerin Park, for the eight-storey building to be built on the southern side of the school, on Frome Rd.

It has proposed swapping it for Helen Mayo Park, which was alongside the River Torrens and was previously slated for the former government’s $662m Riverbank Arena.

Mr Boyer claimed the council resolved in July for its chief executive to negotiate the final terms of the MoU, so there would be no net loss of open space.

“So council’s decision here to essentially go weak at the knees and decide they aren’t going to deal with this at the 11th hour throws the project into confusion and puts the expansion at jeopardy,” he said.

An artist's impression of the $98m redevelopment of Adelaide Botanic High School. Picture: Supplied by Education Department

Lord Mayor Sandy Verschoor told The Advertiser the council was ready to sign off on the MoU but the document was received too late – even for the chief executive to sign.

“Yes, we were negotiating in good faith however the MoU was returned by the state government in caretaker,” Ms Verschoor said.

“We will continue to try and negotiate in good faith.”

The Education Department’s chief operating officer, Ben Temperly, admitted the document was delivered during caretaker, but “there was no indication at that time or previously that would be an issue in terms of resolving and reaching agreement on the land swap arrangements”.

The council has sought legal advice on its ability to proceed with the MoU.

The former Liberal government announced the expansion in January to be ready for the 2024 school year and increase its capacity to 1950 students.

Mr Boyer was confident if the MOU was signed the expansion would be open in time for the 2024 school year and it would not be delayed by construction.

He said a decision on whether to declare the expansion a “major project” to veto the council would need to be discussed by Premier Peter Malinauskas and Cabinet, but “all options are on the table”.

Opposition spokesman John Gardner said the government’s “shuffling the chairs of leadership” in the Education Department had affected its ability to resolve this issue.