If you have not heard already I have good news. We will have a chance to influence the T2D South Road Design, via a formal community consultation process.
The Department of Infrastructure and Transport (DIT) will be seeking community input into the design and delivery of the Torrens to Darlington (T2D) section of South Road. Accordingly, they have called for interest in people joining one of three reference groups.
Expressions of interest have closed. With the first meetings expected later this month, those who were successful with their nominations should soon be aware.
There will be two groups for each section (a Community Reference Group and a Business Reference Group). For the southern tunnel section, and likewise the Airport and northern tunnel section.
The community reference groups will include one member from each of the affected Councils. Unley Council has nominated me to be that representative.
The purpose of these groups is to provide a forum for community input.
To allow us to provide input into various aspects of the project during the planning and design phase. This includes an opportunity for residents, community interest groups, businesses, and individuals.
I expect that the members of the groups will be seeking to have a dialogue with the rest of us. As a member of our group, I will be keen for the members to meet outside of the formal meetings organised by DIT. This, so that we might devise a way of communicating to our neighbours, and also to determine how best to invite input.
Finally, one of the first things I wish to have solved is to determine what is and what is not negotiable. What we can do to influence the T2D South Road Design
It is important that DIT is upfront with us immediately on what input they are prepared to consider. What value we can bring to the design and to the delivery versus what must be provided for engineering purposes etc.
We don’t want to be having fights all the way to the final siren on matters we cant win.
That’s great news. However there seem to be competing interests on what the final design should be, with no singular focus. One example is the desire to save the Blackforest Primary School, untouched, at the expense of Glandore residents on the West of South Rd. The Primary school features land and a building at the front which is rarely used, and could be utilised by the project, with no significant impact. So it is not right to focus on the School, when a solution could be forged in the best interests of everyone. Glandore residents will see there lives destroyed, whilst the parents of children (who will spend no more than six years of their academic lives at the School) experience minor inconvenience. There is no right or wrong answer, but competing interests which should be fairly considered.
Daniel, if you have not registered to be part of the community group, I suggest you check who the Marion elected member will be and liaise with them. Whoever that will be, I am sure they will properly advocate on your behalf.
That is the very core of the message I have tried to convey in the blog post.
My own observations are that there is no preconceived notion of saving the Black Forest Primary School. My contacts at the school are disturbed at not knowing, as much as anyone else I have spoken to.
What I have learned is they (DIT) don’t want to alter the Gallipoli Underpass or the Emerson intersection. They want to save the tram overpass but wonder if they can. They also, importantly from your point of view, do not want to shift the telephone exchange.
That, I understand will take 6 years and $ 6b to relocate. If those numbers are anywhere near accurate I can understand they would want to avoid it.
Beyond that, as I indicated in my previous blog on this subject, we need to give them a chance to determine what can and can’t be done. Much of that will be getting a better understanding of the neighbourhood by talking to us.