Existing RAH site must stimulate economy

Existing RAH site must stimulate economyHere’s a new year’s resolution for the State Government – develop an innovative plan for the existing Royal Adelaide Hospital site. And then, importantly, share it with the public as soon as possible. Of course it was then Premier Mike Rann who announced in June 2007 that the State Government would replace the RAH with a new CBD hospital named the Marjorie Jackson-Nelson Hospital. A few things have changed over that almost nine year period, but one element remains unchanged – there appears to be no firm plan for the site. The existing site is without question one of Australia’s most exciting development opportunities – we’re talking 215,000 sqm of CBD land flanked by the Torrens on one side and North Terrace on the other. When the transition from old to new RAH takes place at some point over the next two years, it will leave behind a significant parcel of vacated land and potentially a vacuum of economic activity. That’s why we need to identify and attract a future use of the existing site and that’s why the State Government should adopt this as an important new year’s resolution. Let’s be frank, the State Government has known for the best part of a decade that this transition was on the horizon. You don’t plan to sell your house and start building a new one without either renting in the interim or hitting up your parents for a roof over your head. But we now find ourselves in this position. The site currently supports a deep pool of workers and people commuting to the RAH, and it’s a significant number. We’re talking 6,000 RAH staff, 70,000 ED patients, 4,000 ICU patients, 83,000 general patients, and 0,000 patients treated through outpatient appointments. And it’s vital that we bear these statistics in mind. These figures demonstrate the significance of the intensive use of this site and its importance to the surrounding area. So it comes down to this – jobs and businesses located in the east end of Adelaide’s CBD. Rundle Street alone boasts 100 businesses and provides employment to an estimated 3,300 people while pedestrian volume is close to 25,000 people per day. Future plans for this site must provide economic stimulus to avoid jeopardising thousands of jobs and hundreds of businesses in the east end. At a time when employment uncertainty is all too common, it’s time to think big, ignite the think tank and take some calculated risks with the future of this exciting site. :: Adelaide Advertiser 30th December 2014: In 2015 the State Government must develop plan for existing Royal Adelaide Hospital site