The detailed plan which will be presented to Adelaide City Council on Tuesday reveals tram stops at the North Tce entrance of David Jones and the UniSA apartments and a major bus interchange along Grenfell St.

A civic hub including a piazza and outdoor dining area has also been earmarked for the centre of the mall, along with set busking performance zones.

The entire city block bordered by the mall, King William and Grenfell streets and James Place has also been earmarked for development.

Rundle Mall Management Authority chairman Theo Maras said the plan revealed an early wish list. “This time we’re not just looking at what colour the bricks on the ground are, we’re looking at what will reinvigorate a 24/7 environment,” he said.

via AdelaideNow

Onkaparinga Council’s tram plan is part of its 30 year Transit Orientated Development (TOD) plan, which would see 10,000 people living and working around Noarlunga Centre.

The first detailed plans for the TOD are expected later this year.

Onkaparinga city development manager Terry Sutcliffe said a tram could link in with rail and bus interchanges at Noarlunga and bring “significant spin off benefits” for Beach Rd traders.

“For those future residents (at Noarlunga Centre) we want them to have good access to the facilities on Beach Rd and the beach itself as a major recreation centre,” Mr Sutcliffe said last week.

He said detailed plans for the tram proposal were still some way off and would hinge on a state government commitment.

Christies Beach Business and Tourism Association president Mike Kennedy, who owns Innuendo Lingerie, said a tram was a “sensational idea”.

“I think it would be the start of turning us into a road like Jetty Rd at Glenelg,” Mr Kennedy said.

“It would draw people to the area and mean more small businesses could survive.

“I’d also like to see things like a jetty or a marina – I see no reason why these things can’t happen, it’s just a matter of the dollars being available.”

CJ’s Bakery owner Andrew Sutton said a tram could make Beach Rd more of a “hub”.

“Look at what’s going on down at the Glenelg foreshore … they’ve got the tram and a water park – something like that is going to draw a crowd,” he said.

Blu C Cafe owner Danny Burns said a tram would be “awesome” but the area needed more attractions first.

“There needs to be something that attracts people – like a pier or something … after that maybe look at a train line,” he said.

Candy Magic owner Doreen Stone supported a tram and also wanted to see a hotel and more clothing shops for the strip.

Meantime, traders have recently re-formed the Christies Beach Business and Tourism Association to boost business in the area.

via Messenger News

SA has long battled to keep pace with the more populous eastern States and a high-speed rail network that literally leaves Adelaide out of the loop would seriously disadvantage us.

This issue and others affecting SA are examined in the SA Business Monthly lifout in The Advertiser on Tuesday.

The high-speed rail project is a long way off but just as it took many decades to go from wishful thinking to reality for the Alice Springs to Darwin rail track, a high-speed rail network linking the capitals will eventually be built.

Should Adelaide receive a high-speed rail link? Share your opinion here.

In the decades ahead, petroleum prices will soar, making car and air travel considerably more expensive. Coupled with greenhouse gas concerns, this will accelerate demand for rail as an alternative. In pushing our case, SA should enlist an unlikely ally Melbourne.

While Adelaidians frequently compare their city to Melbourne, the Victorians’ real rival is Sydney.

It should be pointed out to Melbourne that with a network extending to Adelaide, Melbourne would be a node equal to Sydney, rather than the last stop at the end of the line.

Victoria could also be sold the benefits of Horsham becoming the only stop on a Melbourne-Adelaide route. This would open up the western Victorian region that would otherwise risk becoming isolated.

SA has a proud history in the rail sector, being home to some of the most important and innovative rail organisations, such as the Australian Rail Track Corporation.

Obviously, it would cost many billions of dollars extra to include the link to Adelaide and it would not be an easy case to mount on strict profit criteria.

But if we do not get in there and stake a claim, future generations will condemn us as we get left behind when the economic benefits of the project begin to flow.

via AdelaideNow