Kerrod Trott 
In February, Onkaparinga Council approved the master plan that will guide Aldinga Sport Park’s redevelopment, following feedback provided by the community and key stakeholders.
Overall community feedback was supportive of the vision for the Sports Park, including initial $4.71 million upgrade (now underway) and the longer-term vision, which includes a proposed regional play space and skate park.
The approval is a significant milestone for the project as the project’s first stage progresses full-steam ahead.
This plan sets the vision for the site over the next 15 years and beyond, meeting increasing demand for sport and recreation in the community.
We received lots of constructive feedback from residents in November and December, with much of it focused on increasing greening, ensuring enough car parking, concerns about increasing traffic, user safety and adequate connections with cycling and pedestrian pathways through the site.
Changes have been made changes to the master plan in response to this feedback, which will inform the detailed design process for the implementation stages.
These changes included:
- increasing carparking
- strengthening shared-use pathways with the site and key connections to it from Port and Old Coach Roads and the new Aldinga B-12 School (due to open 2022)
- maximising the number of trees retained and planted and using natural materials and native plantings where possible
- including half-court basketball in the proposed play space
- clarifying the shared-use arrangements with the school facilities
- consideration of public toilets at the site including the regional play space.
The master plan also confirms the position of the new soccer pitch and shared soccer/hockey building in the park’s south-western corner, with concept plans currently being refined to meet the budget.
Investigations continue into alternative sites for the relocation of the sports park’s equestrian facilities.
Works are progressing on Stage 1 of the project, with reconstruction (three) and resurfacing (three) of the netball courts more than 50 per cent complete in March 2021.
Construction of a three-lane fully-enclosed cricket net will be commenced mid-2021, after council was awarded a $30,000 grant from the Australian Cricket Infrastructure Fund.
A tender for the civil, services, soccer pitch and sports lighting works is also expected in mid-2021.
About Author
