River Torrens Linear Park
Client:
Nine Adelaide Metropolitan Councils along the River Torrens
Location:
Adelaide, SA
Breathing new life into a riverside recreation corridor
The River Torrens Linear Park is a much-loved community space. Stretching from the Adelaide Hills to Henley Beach, it takes in landmark attractions including Adelaide Zoo and Adelaide Botanic Gardens. The park was originally created to mitigate floodwaters but has since been developed to include picnic areas, playgrounds and paths for cyclists and pedestrians.
The nine municipal councils that border the park engaged Tonkin, together with Jensen PLUS, to create a Strategic Integrated Asset Management Plan (SIAMP). Common goals for the project were to review the condition of assets along the park and identify potential opportunities for strategic improvements.
Tonkin successfully led a large and diverse group of local councils through a planning process designed to create lasting enjoyment for users of the River Torrens Linear Park.
Tonkin successfully led a large and diverse group of local councils through a planning process designed to create lasting enjoyment for users of the River Torrens Linear Park.
What we did
Stakeholder and community consultation was conducted to canvas a wide range of ideas and encourage participation. It included workshops, an innovative community engagement platform and future demography.
We created an overall spatial asset register from data supplied by the nine local councils that border the river and supplied an indicative valuation of the recreation assets along the linear park. A high-level risk assessment was undertaken.
Our final report described the assets within the park, identified risks and put forward strategies to manage and improve these assets for the benefit of councils and users of the park.
What we achieved
The SIAMP was one of the first multi-council asset management plans developed for a major corridor. The collection, analysis and merging of asset data provided by the councils to create a single register was a substantial task and not commonly achieved for a project of this scale.
The high number of users who responded to the online survey gave the project exceptionally robust data. Media engagement resulted in newspapers, local council newsletters and websites promoting the project and encouraging input from the community.
The project provided substantial benefits to the member councils and park users, including:
- An assessment of future demands and trends including planning, social, environmental and climate changes
- A Wayfinding Strategy, suitable for pedestrians and cyclists, that includes emergency markers and how to best use technology
- A standardised process that allows for a “whole of park” approach to asset management.
How we made a difference
The project team has delivered a plan that proposes consistent standards and service levels along the length of the park to provide cost savings and uniform service levels.
It is expected the local councils will see increased usage of the park, together with improved safety for the community and fewer complaints about the assets within the park.
