"I trust that Council will do the right thing"

WHO WAS THE GENIUS RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS?

THORNEs LANE / Spurs Avenue junction

Or This:

 

Thornes Lane, southern cul de sac – zero lot line 3 story “industrial style” housing towers over  new  villa

New owner- occupiers are asking for footpaths! :

"TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN

I am writing this letter for Council's prompt attention.

As a frequent visitor to Thome's Lane at Brompton and also as the owner of a 2 year-old townhouse investment property in Hawker Street, Brompton, I am appalled at the apparent lack of

responsibility for safe and appropriate paving on the roadside footpath in front of new developments.

It is both unsafe and unsightly to have muddy, unfinished surfaces in the public areas in front of new developments. I recently visited residents at Thornes Lane with my elderly mother who nearly

slipped on the unsure, muddy surface. This is an appalling state of public walking areas in a major redevelopment. Surely Council has a responsibility to keep on top of new public path requirements

when a new development is completed or nearing completion. At the very least, there should be rigid standards and expectations by Council of developers if Council believes it is not their

responsibility.

I trust that Council will do the right thing and rectify the situation either by taking direct responsibility and finishing the path properly or compelling the developers to do so. This should not be a fight that residents have to take up when it concerns public areas and the safety and overall aspect of Brompton.

thank you”

(from this weeks Council Agenda)

GRADE SEPARATION & HAWKER STREET

The level crossings at Torrens Road and Hawker Street provide a continuing source of frustration to motorists when freight trains are forced to slow down or stop across these intersections to allow the passenger trains priority passage over the Torrens Junction track crossover in the Adelaide City Park lands.
This delay would be greatly reduced if a “grade separation” was constructed at the Torrens Junction – by way of a bridge or culvert – to remove the intersection of the freight and passenger rail tracks.
A proposal by the State Government to the Federal Infrastructure Australia to construct this grade separation at Torrens and Goodwood Rail Junctions was prioritized number one project by the Federal Government in 2009.
The other prioritized projects were:
F3–Branxton Freeway (NSW)
Majura Parkway (Stage 2) (ACT)
Pacific Highway Corridor (NSW)
Ipswich Motorway Upgrade
While the Torrens Junction proposal did not get Federal funding, all the others were successful. Why? Motorists stuck at Torrens Road and Hawker Street by freight trains will no doubt be asking this question.
The most likely reason for the failure was the decision of the State Government to amend its application to include provision for the undergrounding of the Park Terrace  passenger line and Bowden Station as part of the Bowden Urban Village Transport Orientated Development.
However because the BUV TOD proposal was still at a early stage of planning, it could not meet the requirement of the Federal Government that funding would be committed to those projects which were “ready to go” – this being a crucial part of the (successful) strategy to protect the economy from the effects of the global financial crisis.
Now the State Government appears to be hoping that grade separation will  be funded in part by the rail industry itself –
“The development of more efficient national land-based freight transport links to overseas markets is critical for South Australia’s economy. The rail industry will be encouraged to upgrade the freight rail network through Adelaide to reduce conflict with passenger transport, as well as upgrading the Adelaide-Melbourne link. This will be supported through the expansion and development of intermodal facilities.” [Strategic Infrastructure Plan SA –Discussion paper 2010]
This in turn suggests that the undergrounding of Bowden Station – now the centre-piece of the BUV master plan – will have to be funded by the State Government. If only the scheme had  a “Black Box” attached in 2009.