On January 2nd, Leslie Wightman, Convenor or the Port BUG and four other BUG members (plus Paul Anderson, representing the Charles Sturt BUG) met with the Mayor of the City of Charles Sturt, Kirsten Alexander and members of Council staff. Also present was Mayor Gary Johanson of Port Adelaide/Enfield Council.

Port Adelaide & Charles Sturt BUG reps meet with Mayors Alexander & Johanson and staff (Photo: Dave Case).

The meeting was called by Mayor Alexander to share information about the Outer Harbour & Grange Greenway project and related matters. Although a range of views were represented, we came away with an agreement that all parties should work together to ensure:

• appropriate information is made available to both Councils and the public asap
• a coordinated approach is taken across both local and state government as the various stages of the project unfold.

From the Port BUG’s p.o.v this latter point is particularly important! The major works involved in building the Greenway route will only be a ‘first step’ in establishing it as a functioning entity.  For the new bicycle route to achieve its potential a great deal of attention will be required to its ongoing ‘qualitative’ development and responsibility for this will largely fall to the three Councils involved (ACC, CCS and Pt A/E) and to local communities themselves. In fact, the BUG would hope that in the longer term, significant responsibility for the management, maintenance and further development of the route might be taken by a ‘Friends of the Outer Harbour Greenway’ group! Such an approach has worked well in Sydney for Greenway routes such as the Cooks River to Iron Cove Greenway in Sydney’s inner west. http://www.friendsofthegreenway.org.au

Key issues to be considered in this ‘qualitative’ development are likely to include:

• access to public toilets, shade, water, bins, parks and other rest places and related facilities along the route
• destination, directional and distance signage
• lighting & security issues (police, emergency phone points, CCTV etc)
• provision of effective access to and from local footpath and bicycle networks and pathways
• disability access and consideration for less able users
• signage re. local shops, traders and services (the Greenway should be seen as part of the economic life of the communities through which it passes)
• cultural and historical interpretation
• enhancing local cultural amenity, community sculpture, biodiversity provisions etc

The Port BUG sees great value in establishing a consistent thematic elements for the Outer Harbour Greenway which might include use of common signage, symbols and treatments as well as establishing a consistent approach to treatment of amenity and biodiversity issues along the Greenway’s entire route (approx. 20km). We believe that adjacent Councils need to consider their common responsibility for ensuring a functional and integrated outcome for the Greenway’s overall design, maintenance and amenity if it expects residents to recognise its potential! The BUG believes that the Outer Harbour Greenway will be very popular with the communities it passes through as well as with visitors and tourists. We believe it has great potential to contribute significantly to local economic life as well as the building social resiliency, equity, health and general sustainability in communities in the West. We call on the Councils involved to ‘adopt’ the Greenway in this light and factor it in to all of the relevant health, transport and other community development agendas.

More information on the development of the Outer Harbour Greenway and its development is available at our ‘Greenway’ page.