A hurried decision by the State Government to reverse an agreement with the City of Norwood Payneham & St Peters - and accept a developer's proposal to turn part of The Parade into a major intersection - will likely result in the death of two protected trees.
The decision by the Department for Infrastructure and Transport – which was made without proper detailed traffic analysis or consultation with the Council or traders - also demonstrates a complete lack of regard for pedestrian safety and the wider community's interest in preserving The Parade's main street look and feel.
City of Norwood Payneham & St Peters' Chief Executive, Mario Barone, said the roadworks required to install the right hand turns would also result in the removal of four prominent flag poles outside the Norwood Town Hall, which in turn would mean the Council could no longer display Christmas Trees during the festive season.
"As well as The Parade losing some of its civic identity, there is a very grave risk to two protected trees, one of which is significant. The Council is completely baffled by the sudden change in direction in relation to this project," he said.
In 2019, the Council accepted the Department's condition that a scramble crossing with a peak hour ban on right hand turns was an appropriate traffic measure for the intersection – and agreed to a 12 month trial period.
However, in June 2020, only weeks after former Transport Minister Stephan Knoll formalised the arrangement, the State Government met with two local and prominent property owners who subsequently launched legal proceedings to stop the Council's decision to ban right hand turns.
In good faith, the Council suspended the scramble crossing tender process to allow the legal process to occur. However, Transport Minister Corey Wingard, then entered into a funding deed with the property owners to ensure the scramble crossing with dedicated right hand turns went ahead.
Mr Barone said the State Government's involvement with the two property owners raised a lot of serious questions.
"Why did the State Government enter into a funding deed while court proceedings were underway and without knowing the full cost of the works to be undertaken?" Mr Barone said.
"The Council has always been consistent with its position. We want pedestrians to be safe. We have listened to the local community through three rounds of consultation. We also don't want any trees to be damaged, nor do we want The Parade's civic and retail identity to be negatively affected in anyway."
The Council has today made an urgent application to the Supreme Court for an injunction to prevent the roadworks from occurring in an attempt to save the trees and the current visual amenity of The Parade.
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