Update on the Gawler Place upgrade

20 Jul, 2018

The City of Adelaide is committed to the upgrade of Gawler Place, one of the city’s busiest pedestrian streets and a key element in the 2011 Master Plan for Rundle Mall.

In 2016, a $7.85 million budget was approved for the Gawler Place upgrade. The concept plan was then taken through the next steps of consultation, planning and detailed design for construction.

After taking the detailed design to tender and following the early investigation works on the street, the complexities around underground services as well as managing accessibility and the construction approach have been found to be more challenging than anticipated. This is not uncommon with projects of this nature and scale in the city.

The project has also come in substantially over budget and as our job is to be responsible with rate payers’ money, we are in the process of redesigning options for the upgrade that will more closely align with the original budget. We will be bringing these to Council in the coming months.

The construction is on hold while these alternate proposals are worked through to ensure that the project delivers an appealing street while also providing value for money to ratepayers. We want to ensure we deliver a desirable outcome for all users of the street.

Council is very keen to see Gawler Place upgraded into a destination where people shop, visit and spend time.