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Sturt River Linear Park Master Plan

Ecosystems and river corridors are typically managed by multiple stakeholders. The Sturt River Linear Park Master Plan seeks to bring these stakeholders together in a coordinated manner to realise the clear vision established for this significant public asset.

Fundamental to the vision for the Sturt River Linear Park is the development of a continuous trail to provide exciting and diverse recreational, cultural and natural links which extend the Yurebilla Trail from the hills to the sea. This is a significant challenge, given the extensive weed infestation in the upper reaches, the steep and rocky terrain within Sturt Gorge, and the mechanically engineered nature of the concrete river channel in the lower reaches.

URPS was a key member of the Swanbury Penglase-led consultant team in the development of this master plan. In this role we successfully negotiated the planning drivers for the effective management of the area across jurisdictions; provided the necessary input into the tourism and recreational planning components of the project; and managed extensive consultation with a variety of stakeholders.

This PIA award-winning master plan successfully balances key positive environmental outcomes with contemporary and achievable recreational initiatives. The plan also builds on Indigenous and European cultural history by providing links to specific places of interest along the Linear Park and promoting these through interpretive signage, maps and brochures.

Innovation is important to us at URPS. We like to 'push boundaries’ where appropriate. It keeps us on our toes and delivers the best possible outcomes for our clients who have to adapt to constant change. This is why we take such pride in winning PIA Awards – they provide evidence of our success in striving for innovation.

We were delighted to receive a commendation at the PIA SA 2011 Awards for Planning Excellence for the Mount Barker Town Centre Community Engagement Project – our 15th PIA Award/Commendation over the past 9 years.

A genuinely collaborative project, staff from Mount Barker Council worked closely with the URPS team to deliver a range of engagement techniques carefully targeted to the various audiences. According to the awards publication, "the judges were impressed by the extent of the community engagement process and the use of a wide variety of consultation mediums, including social media, a youth ‘walk out and talk out’ session and a series of 'speak out’ sessions".

We were also delighted to celebrate Marcus Rolfe's elevation to the position of Fellow of the Planning Institute of Australia at the Awards evening. The elevation recognises Marcus' ongoing contribution to the planning profession.

URPS Director Nicole Halsey has recently been appointed as a member of the Premier's Climate Change Council and the Board of Renewables SA.

The primary function of the Climate Change Council is to provide independent advice to the Minister for Sustainability and Climate Change about matters related to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to climate change. The Council also takes a leading role in consulting with business, the environment / conservation sector and the wider community on climate change issues.

Key elements of the charter of Renewables SA include:

We look forward to supporting Nicole in these significant roles.

URPS and Natalie Fuller and Associates, together with a team of dedicated staff and volunteers at the City of Salisbury, recently held a "Street Talk" event outside the Len Beadell library for the Salisbury Town Centre Renewal Project.

Over 500 people participated, providing their views on what they like about the Town Centre, what can be improved and how they would like to see it develop in the future.

The Manager Urban Development at the City of Salisbury, Harry Pitrans, described this as a "very successful day for the City of Salisbury", also praising "the opportunity we provided to support the team of engagement volunteers" and our "professionalism and fun during the day".

We would also like to extend our thanks to the engagement team of Brian Pledger, Janine Harding, Jo Lasham, Julie Fyfe, Kate Naumann, Michelle Tucker, Tammie Hamilton and Hiroe Terao.

This type of successful community engagement will have a significant positive impact on the development and delivery of the Town Centre Renewal Project.