Glen Osmond Creek trail open for business
After $5.4million-plus, and a whole lot of controversy, Unley’s latest linear park — between Parkside’s Henry Codd Reserve and Unley Road — will be open for business this weekend.
Fencing of the footpath-cum-cycle track will come down tomorrow (Friday, October 14).
However, public access to the adjacent Leicester Street playground –closed to the public for more than six months while remedial work was carried out after the discovery of contaminated soil — will remain that way until the end of the month. This is to allow the newly-laid turf to become established.
Several parents have contacted me with regard to the altered play equipment , especially the disappearance of the “tunnel” and roundabout. I am making efforts to have these restored.
Meanwhile, I would be interested in your comments on the comparison between the new linear park and the Windsor Street stretch of the former creek.
I think that most people are aware of MY views…
Hi Mike –
Overall I think the redevelopment is good, it certainly has transformed an under-utilised area into a well landscaped pathway. Extra cycle ways are always welcome. The vegetation plantings look good, from what I can see.
Personally I would have preferred the creek had remained un covered and they had introduced some sort of groundwater recharge system as the concrete lining means all this water goes out to sea. However I understand the overall flood mitigation strategy.
In terms of Leicester St Playground, I would like to see the preservation of the mounds and tunnels. The kids really enjoy playing on them, and it’ll be less of a fun park without them.
For the Culvert St part of the trail, I understand the need for the storm water overflow vents that have been put in place, but really they are very ugly and detract from the amenity of the otherwise excellent work. Maybe once the SA Gov’t upgrades the storm water pipes under Unley Road we may be able to have these vents removed.
The increase in storm water is in part due to the increased urban infill and footprint of hard surfaces in Unley and surrounding areas, which results in reduced water percolation into the groundwater in situ. Something that maybe the Town Planners might like to look at.
Overall I think it’s overall a very good development with a few minor issues that will hopefully be resolved, and look forward to riding it on the weekend.
IT could have been just as useable if we had kept to the original, more attractive proposal which was used to “sell” the idea to residents. Something more akin to the Windsor Street section, which has attracted a lot of native fauna back to the area, something Henry Codd to Unley Road probably won’t be able to replicate. And all those acres of exposed corrugated iron are just crying out for graffiti.!!
Next stop Randolph Avenue, which I have been plugging for several years as the next linear experiment. Watch this space. And thanks for your comment.