The City of Holdfast Bay has secured an important parcel of land that will benefit both residents and all South Australians into the future.
The council has been successful in negotiations to purchase a property adjacent to the Old Gum Tree Reserve at Glenelg North. The property, which is to the east of the Old Gum Tree Reserve, has been owned and occupied by the Catholic Church for a number of years and has operated as a school and church.
Mayor of the City of Holdfast Bay, Ken Rollond, said that the opportunity to purchase parcels of land within the Council area is extremely rare, given the built up nature of the City.
“The likelihood that these parcels would be in a location that helps us add more open space in an area that has significance to the City and the State is even rarer.”
“This is even more significant with the Old Gum Tree being the birthplace of South Australia and in this the 175th year of European settlement,” he said.
The purchase of this land provides a unique opportunity for Council to increase its open space and to integrate part of the land into the existing Old Gum Tree Reserve to create a larger reserve that can: Accommodate larger functions, preserve the heritage of the area and improve and add to the open space of Glenelg North and the City as a whole.
The land has an area of some 5,102m2; and while it is envisaged that a portion of the land will be annexed to the Old Gum Tree Reserve, the opportunity also arises for further subdivision to accommodate housing or independent living accommodation for Council’s ageing population.
This has the added advantage that the total site may remain in the ownership of Council in perpetuity and will create a revenue stream back to the residents as a return on investment.
Council will develop some workable options for the site in the short term and talk to our community to gain their thoughts and aspirations for the land, before a final decision is reached on its long term future.
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