Norwood Payneham and St Peters have planned a major redevelopment of Linde Reserve/Dunstone Grove. You can read their side of the story here.
Council wants LRDG to be open space and to achieve that they plan to move out a range of community groups, knock down three nineteenth century buildings, remnants of Stepney's forgotten German history and chop down six significant trees, one of them is a River Red Gum.
Friends of Linde Reserve/Dunstone Grove have come up with a much more exciting idea that preserves our heritage but also makes the reserve a unique community arts eco-precinct.
An outline of the community's vision for LRDG can be found in our brochure. Click on the link in the side panel.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
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5 comments:
It's great to see an alternative plan to the one proposed by Council.
To me Council's plan seems designed to make Linde Reserve / Dunstone Grove look like any one of a hundred other parks in Adelaide. While I strongly support the re-naturalised creek bed and the addition of sports amenities I don't understand why Council is arguing that to have these improvements we MUST destroy the things about the park which are unique, including the historic but much loved and utilised cottages. I believe we could have both if only Council was prepared to think a little more creatively.
Hi, I'm a local resident and here's my letter to the council.
Dear NPSP Council,
I am writing to you to express my concerns about the plans for developing
Linde Reserve. While I have no problem with naturalising a section of Second Creek, I don’t believe removing a large River Red Gum (marked with a 5 on the plan) is good for the environment. In these days of climate change, we need all the shady trees we have, and a lot more. Trees such as that one would have germinated when the creek flooded in the past and belong there.
River Red Gums are a precious asset. The widening of the creek should only be done if the tree is allowed to stand. Those trees cope with flooding and drying out and having their roots exposed. They evolved in those conditions.
It would be good if all of Second Creek were made more natural and less of a concrete drain and if it had a bicycle/pedestrian path along it for people to use, connecting with the linear park.
I am aghast at the idea of removing the cottages and changing the carparks and selling off 48 Nelson Street. The council are temporary caretakers of the community and in the last couple of decades, many community assets have been lost – eg Orange Lane Market, the velodrome, Norwood Primary School oval and several continental delis. One of the great appeals of Norwood was that it had a village atmosphere and that is fast disappearing.
The area around Linde Reserve is a vibrant community precinct, used by a number of groups, bringing hundreds of people from outside the area to use local services and businesses and contribute their volunteer work. This should be valued and appreciated.
Over the years I have used facilities in these buildings. I’ve attended courses like self-defence at the St Peters Women’s centre giving me a stronger sense
of personal safety. I attended the Mothers and Babies Clinic for assistance as a young mother and joined a singing group in the Perriam Centre. I have attended meetings in the Knee High Puppeteers building, performed at the Hillbilly Hoot in the stables and contributed hundreds of hours as a volunteer at Three D Radio. I’ve played Frisbee and picnicked and been to barbecues in the park, taken my children to the playground and purchased goods at the Rotary jumble fair.
I feel very strongly that this precinct should be protected. It is of enormous value to the community and others from outside who use it and contribute to the economy of the local businesses.
Nelson Street was once lined with houses and gradually they are all disappearing. The cottages on Nelson Street provide a buffer from the traffic and give the park protection. The volunteers and users of the buildings provide a sense of security for the park. There is always someone around and
people feel safe there.
I am very interested in the alternative proposals of a community garden, community orchard and sound-shell. I believe those are the sorts of ideas which would enhance the community spirit and be in keeping with current uses of the area. I strongly urge the council to take heed of these ideas.
Community gardens and live music are elements which add to the culture and well-being of the citizens of the city. When mental health problems like depression are increasing, local government authorities could be acting responsibly by allowing and encouraging activities which give people a sense of belonging, satisfaction and enjoyment. Adding community gardens and an orchard and a sound shell for concerts would only enhance the area further. Perhaps Rotary could be encourage to open up their shed as a further resource – a community shed like the men’s sheds that are available in other areas, providing a sense of connection and worth in older men’s lives.
Changing the car-parks when they are already functioning perfectly for the needs of users of the area seems like a complete waste of money. They have
plenty of spaces as well as large shady trees and as I mentioned before, shady trees are an asset we are going to need a lot more of as the current heatwave indicates an increasingly harsher climate.
Even the idea of redeveloping St Peters Town Hall seems like a waste of money and a reduction in public community facilities. I have attended concerts and the rose fair there and it’s a good large space which should be preserved and used more often for concerts and shows. The library is fine as it is and has a good carpark, again with established shady trees, which should be valued and appreciated.
You are caretakers of the community and have a responsibility to the current citizens and our children and children’s children to protect the assets we have and look after them. The mental and physical health benefits of these facilities
to the users are of enormous benefit to the whole community. To ignore these benefits and only consider the expense of maintaining the buildings seems short sighted and doesn’t make it seem the council is representing the needs of the community very well. Surely arrangements could be made whereby the tenants of the buildings could maintain them to a reasonable standard? Three D Radio’s home has certainly been maintained and improved by volunteers.
Some of these groups could apply for funding from bodies other than the council to upgrade their buildings, if they had some security of tenure, and if there is really anything structurally unsound about them, but looking at them they all seem to be in a satisfactory state of repair.
Please take notice of the strong feelings of residents and users of these facilities from other areas and don’t destroy something we really value.
Thank you,
Suzy Ramone
Well put Suzy - I completely agree with all of your comments, and rather than reiterate what you have already written so eloquently, I'll add a few of my own.
Does NP&SP council consider how much the community groups based at Linde Reserve/Dunstone Grove contribute financially to the local economy, quite apart from the significant cultural, artistic and health benefits they provide? Hundreds of volunteers use the Park's facilities every week, and there is a considerable flow-on benefit to local businesses.
Speaking for myself, my husband & our daughter, who all volunteer at Three D Radio and travel to the NP&SP Council area at least twice a week, there are numerous local businesses that we patronise each week, contributing AT LEAST several thousand dollars per year. These include The Avenues Newsagency (over $100 per month on music, history, gardening and other magazines, which they kindly hold for us), Coles Supermarket (a large portion of our weekly groceries), the Avenues Greengrocer and Butcher, Bakers Delight, Dan Murphys & Vintage Cellars, Sagarmartha Nepalese Restaurant, Hello Dolly Lebanese, Maid and Magpie and Alma Hotels for meals, both Big Star Records shops, and numerous cafes, pizzerias (which are used at Three D for snacks during meetings!)and specialty shops along Magill Rd and the Parade - and this is just for the three of us!!! I'm sure that many, if not most of the other volunteers at Three D and the other community groups have similar spending habits. It all starts to add up!!!.
The Arts Eco Park proposal put forward by the Friends of Linde Reserve/Dunstone Grove will not only retain the community groups, and therefore the volunteers, but will attract further people to the area, spending more money, helping to keep local small businesses afloat, and adding a vibrancy to an already priceless community asset.
Suzy mentioned in her post the sad demise of the Orange Lane Market, a unique attraction much loved by people all over Adelaide, who would travel especially to NP&SP to take in it's unique ambience, and by so doing, help support the careers of the many talented emerging and established artists and crafts-people who had stalls there. While I'm not suggesting that any sort of permanent facility be built, it would be a great idea to hold a regular Sunday Arts Market in the park, as there is ample parking there already, in addition to that in the Avenues Shopping Centre across the road. The Sound Shell proposal would also be put to good use, with intimate live music performances as a feature of the event. This would also be a great venue for the users of the proposed community gardens and orchard, to sell some of their produce, enabling them to be self-sustainable financially, as well as environmentally. There's also the opportunity at such an event to hold regular workshops on permaculture and sustainable gardening in the community centre.
As can be seen, the possibilities are endless, but far from being a pipe dream, the infrastructure is there to turn them into reality, for the benefit of the community and the Council - a win-win for everyone!
I am a resident of one of the warehouse apartments fronting the parks and a member of the Management Ctee of the Strata Corporation which comprises the units.
The Strata supports the notion of upgrading the reserves.
It is fair to say that we do not have a strong view one way or another if the buildings fronting Nelson Street are retained or not but it is important that the community groups which ocuppy them are relocated somewhere suitable . The former St Peters town hall would appear to be an appropriate option.
We did suggest to the Council that the Rotary shed -- which is on land owned by Council and which could be sold as a development site to provide funding for the project -- could be relocated to a more appropriate site ( for example adjacent to the western car park ). However, I doubt that will happen.
I support your proposals for
*realignment of the creek in order to retain the river gum
* the "sound shell" and
* the community garden.
The Strata has previously discussed the concept of a community garden but there was little support from the residents of the units. It is therefore encouraging to see that you have 40 people willing to work to establish and operate the garden . No doubt you are aware of a similar initiative happening in the Hutt St area near the south parklands.
An alternative site for the garden might be in front of the Rotary shed. The Rotarians do not use the full width of the double door opening -- only about 10 feet on the eastern side .
The garden would
* screen much of the shed from view and
*be able to use stormwater from the roof of the shed ....and the apartments for that matter.
Good luck with you efforts.
If you think I may be able to help do not hesitate to let me know
Rick Harley
Unit 8 52A Henry Street Stepney
0418 848 186
Hi all
The community orchard especially is a fantastic and innovative idea I hope it comes off! Here's to local democracy (the only kind you have left)!
P
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