Development and public transport
28/07/08 15:31 Filed in: Villager's
News
In the context of various discussions going on of
development in our region, Villagers may be
interested in the comments of local Port Willunga
'Friend' Michael Gribble, as forwarded by
Stephanie Johnston:
We drove home from Port Willunga yesterday and were quite startled at the number of big new building developments which have appeared in the last few weeks, pushing South, between Main South Road and Commercial Road. The advance of suburbia in less than the last 5 years is horrific, and seems to be accelerating. Remembering what that countryside was like, say 20 years ago - it begs the question of what it will be like in another 5, let alone 20, years!
The coastal suburban strip which now stretches from Brighton to Maslin Beach, looks as though it will shortly link up with the suburban hinterland at Aldinga, courtesy of freeing up Bowering Hill for "development." If I am right in thinking that this is inevitable, then I wonder if it might not be more practical to work towards a "Least Bad" solution, rather than try to maintain a "country-suburban divide."
Places like Kingston Park, Marino, and Hallett Cove have a suburban hinterland complete with suburban railway connections to the city, and are really not too unpleasant. The sea-side atmosphere is maintained, although they are not "country". I suggest that even now, the Port Willunga / Aldinga Beach housing development along Quinliven and Aldinga Beach Roads, is not all that different, except for the lack of public transport to the city.
If suburban development goes on without appropriate infrastructure, including schools, shops, etc. and particularly rail and road public transport to Lonsdale and the city, there is too great a chance that these new developments will become welfare-dependent ghettoes.
I really think that the key factor would be the extension of the (hopefully electrified) rail line from Colonnades (Noarlunga) due south to Seaford and on to Aldinga Central. I don't think that Family First's idea of using part of the old Willunga rail route would really help, since that follows a sinuous E-W axis, and to be effective, the Port Noarlunga, Seaford and Aldinga areas need a direct N-S route. Now is not a bad time to think of pushing this idea, while Government still owns a good deal of the land, and could avoid having to purchase privately held property.
I notice that the Council Business Plan 2008/09 skirts right round the worsening transport problems!
We drove home from Port Willunga yesterday and were quite startled at the number of big new building developments which have appeared in the last few weeks, pushing South, between Main South Road and Commercial Road. The advance of suburbia in less than the last 5 years is horrific, and seems to be accelerating. Remembering what that countryside was like, say 20 years ago - it begs the question of what it will be like in another 5, let alone 20, years!
The coastal suburban strip which now stretches from Brighton to Maslin Beach, looks as though it will shortly link up with the suburban hinterland at Aldinga, courtesy of freeing up Bowering Hill for "development." If I am right in thinking that this is inevitable, then I wonder if it might not be more practical to work towards a "Least Bad" solution, rather than try to maintain a "country-suburban divide."
Places like Kingston Park, Marino, and Hallett Cove have a suburban hinterland complete with suburban railway connections to the city, and are really not too unpleasant. The sea-side atmosphere is maintained, although they are not "country". I suggest that even now, the Port Willunga / Aldinga Beach housing development along Quinliven and Aldinga Beach Roads, is not all that different, except for the lack of public transport to the city.
If suburban development goes on without appropriate infrastructure, including schools, shops, etc. and particularly rail and road public transport to Lonsdale and the city, there is too great a chance that these new developments will become welfare-dependent ghettoes.
I really think that the key factor would be the extension of the (hopefully electrified) rail line from Colonnades (Noarlunga) due south to Seaford and on to Aldinga Central. I don't think that Family First's idea of using part of the old Willunga rail route would really help, since that follows a sinuous E-W axis, and to be effective, the Port Noarlunga, Seaford and Aldinga areas need a direct N-S route. Now is not a bad time to think of pushing this idea, while Government still owns a good deal of the land, and could avoid having to purchase privately held property.
I notice that the Council Business Plan 2008/09 skirts right round the worsening transport problems!