And so now our CEO has weighed in on the public debate with a statement that can be found by a link on the home page of our web site. To save you the trouble of looking for it though, here is the transcript below.
An update on the development of the Unley Oval precinct
We are aware that there is a high level of community interest about the future of the Unley Oval Precinct and there has been a variety of ideas put forward over the last few years. To ensure that Unley Oval continues to meet the future needs of the community and the sporting clubs, the Council has decided to prepare a redevelopment plan of the precinct. This plan will guide any future redevelopment to ensure that any present decisions do not compromise future opportunities.This update is to advise the community of decisions taken by Council concerning the redevelopment of the Unley Oval precinct.
The Precinct is bounded by Trimmer Terrace (west), Frederick Street (north), Langham Terrace (east) and Edmund Avenue (south). It is approximately 4 hectares in size and is a significant area for both structured sport (including football, cricket, tennis and bowls) as well as unstructured recreation (personal exercise, informal ball sports, dog exercise). It includes playgrounds and public toilets and is used to host events such as the finish of the ‘Ride like Crazy’ cycling event.
Unley Oval is one of 3 sporting hubs within the City of Unley and is considered to be a regional sporting facility. The Precinct also consists of six grass tennis courts, two bowling greens, associated clubroom facilities and two grandstands which have substandard change facilities, storage and training rooms.
After extensive consultation with user groups earlier this year, Council has begun detailed investigations into possible redevelopment options. This includes potential refurbishment of the existing facilities and resurfacing of the oval.
At its meeting on 28 October 2013, Council resolved that:
“1. The Administration proceed without delay in:
a) investigating opportunities to create additional public open space on the Unley Oval precinct.
b) investigating and preparing concept designs to improve the current substandard facilities on Unley Oval, to bring them up to SANFL compliant standards.
2. The Administration report back to Council in January 2014, seeking further direction.”
At this stage, Council has not made any decisions about what any potential redevelopment will include.
The January 2014 report referred to in the October 2013 resolution will address some of the issues raised during the information gathering process: in particular, better facilities for sport, and improved open space for general community and recreation purposes.
Once this report is presented, Council can determine the next steps in delivering an upgrade of this significant community asset.
It is, of course, the intention of Council to continue to engage with the whole community in relation to the redevelopment of the Unley Oval Precinct. Community consultation will be carried out on any and all proposed redevelopment concepts.
Further updates will be provided via letterbox drops to selected areas and will be accessible on the City of Unley website. We anticipate the next update will be in February following the Council meeting in January.
Peter Tsokas
CEO, City of Unley
CEO, City of Unley
27 November 2013
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