Proposed New St Clair Railway Station
6 May 2010
CHANGES TO MASTER PLAN AT ST CLAIR
WILL ENHANCE DEVELOPMENT
St Clair developers have revamped plans for the exciting 1200-home development on the former Cheltenham racecourse site in response to a State Government offer of a transit-oriented development around a new train station.
The changes to the master plan will make St Clair one of the most convenient residential developments in metropolitan Adelaide.
The State Government has been working with developers to deliver high-density living around proposed new station to be known as St Clair, which is line with its 30-year plan for Greater Adelaide.
The proposed new St Clair station, which is set to be located close to Cheltenham Parade, will be a joint project between the Department of Transport, Energy and Infrastructure, the Department of Local Government and Planning, the City of Charles Sturt and the St Clair joint venture partners – AVJennings and Urban Pacific.
“Future residents at St Clair will be able to catch an express train and be in the city in as little as 10 minutes and all 1,200 homes in the development will soon be less than 800 metres from a rail service. One of the keys to increasing public transport patronage is to improve the accessibility of services and having more stations close to where people live,” St Clair Project Director Rob Bau said.
He also said the development already provided easy access to other transport options.
“St Clair has been planned to offer residents easy access to transport and to have a rail station within the development will make a huge difference,” he said.
“The development is very close to existing bus routes along Torrens Road and Woodville Road and now trains between the city and Port Adelaide will stop right in St Clair.
“In the future, there are plans to extend the tramline from the Entertainment Centre to West Lakes and Semaphore right past St Clair.”
Mr Bau said the planned rail station added to the convenience of St Clair’s location in the western suburbs; only eight kilometres from the city and five kilometres from the beach.
“We have always planned St Clair to be a vibrant inner metropolitan neighbourhood in the western suburbs, and this is another example of how we have worked closely with State and local government to ensure we include the best amenities at St Clair,” he said.
The new rail station will be linked to St Clair’s extensive walking and cycling trails and will be designed as a “walk up” or “kiss and ride” service, with residents encouraged to walk or cycle to the rail stop rather than drive their own car.
Mr Bau said the developers had a commitment to ensuring St Clair led the way in terms of environmental and open space initiatives.
“This project will include 22 hectares of open space – or 11 times the size of AAMI Stadium – which will be devoted to parks, wetlands and reserves for the entire community to enjoy,” he said.
“Encouraging people to walk and cycle has been a key focus when planning St Clair and the inclusion of a rail station is another way residents can embrace living in an environmentally friendly development.”
St Clair will also feature a $20 million stormwater recycling scheme, funded by the project’s Joint Venture partners – AVJennings and Urban Pacific, Charles Sturt Council and the State Government. The scheme will collect and treat stormwater for the local area in a wetland system, while also delivering recycled water back to homes and the parklands within St Clair.
Mr Bau said the development was already providing popular with buyers wanting to purchase a new home close to the city and the new rail station would add to this.
“St Clair offers easy access to schools, retail centres and sporting venues and the rail line will now run directly between the city and Port Adelaide which is a huge positive,” he said.
“The St Clair community will enjoy state-of-the-art living, set among newly created parklands and wetlands, along with a new village square with shops and cafes and revitalised surrounding suburbs, and now we can add a new rail station to the benefits of the development.”
Other features of St Clair include:
· 22 hectares open space connected to the six-hectare St Clair Reserve by a network of pedestrian and cycle paths;
· Wetlands, including leading water sensitive urban design initiatives to harvest and re-use stormwater for long term sustainability;
· Approximately 1,200 new homes providing a diversity of housing types to appeal to a wide range of people and households; and
· Retail, recreational and community facilities.
St Clair will combine the redevelopment of the former Sheridan site in Woodville and the Cheltenham Racecourse – making it one of Australia’s largest urban infill projects.
St Clair is a joint venture between AVJennings and Urban Pacific, in collaboration with the Government of South Australia through the Land Management Corporation and the City of Charles Sturt.
