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RAISING ISSUES: Whyalla Mayor Clare McLaughlin addresses a meeting with South Australian Premier Steven Marshall in Adelaide.
Tuesday, September 17, 2019
Whyalla Mayor Clare McLaughlin has met with South Australian Premier Steven Marshall and five of his ministers to address two key issues for our city.
Mayor McLaughlin was in Adelaide last week as part of an Upper Spencer Gulf (USG) delegation that held talks with Premier Steven Marshall and ministers David Pisoni, Tim Whetstone, Stephan Knoll, David Ridgway and Dan van Holst Pellekaan. The theme of the meeting was “Transforming Upper Spencer Gulf” with discussions including city-centric issues.
As part of the submission, Mayor McLaughlin sought clarification from the Premier and his ministers on the State Government’s intentions for the high school sites in Whyalla that will become vacant once the new $100m high school is complete and operational.
The Whyalla High School, Edward John Eyre High School and Stuart High School will be made obsolete by the new facility earmarked for Nicolson Avenue, near the TAFE. Mayor McLaughlin said these sites must not be allowed to fall into disrepair as happened with the Bevan Crescent Primary School, Scott Street Primary and McRitchie Crescent Primary School precincts.
“While we are excited, and appreciative, about the new $100m high school, the future use of the obsolete high school sites is a genuine concern for the community after the three primary school sites were left idle and became an unsightly safety and health issue in our city,” Mayor McLaughlin said.
“To facilitate a positive and acceptable use of these sites, I’ve called on the State Government to fund a study into their potential uses that will benefit our city.”
In her submission, Mayor McLaughlin suggested a combination of residential development, community use and sporting facility development for the three sites.
Mayor McLaughlin also put the issue of the Federal Government mandated airport security measures on the table with the Premier and his ministers.
She said the City of Whyalla was seeking assistance with lobbying the Federal Government to make a determination for regional airports on screening and the scrapping of seat counts or weight limits that discriminate against carriers in regards to screening requirements.
The submission also included a request that the State Government join the Federal Government and Council in a tri-party government funding package for the airport requirements.
“At present we are getting some money from the Federal Government for the required security screening at the airport but the majority of the cost, and the need to upgrade the airport to fit all this equipment in, is falling on to Council,” Mayor McLaughlin said.
“A tri-party government approach to the funding would allow Council to provide a greater level of investment in other liveability projects across the city to support the economic development activities to drive population growth and continuing providing for our community.”
Mayor McLaughlin said the submissions received a good hearing with the Premier and his ministers and she would be following them up as a matter of urgency.