The head of Canberra’s planning authority – a former boss of Brisbane’s celebrated South Bank precinct – is one of four long-awaited appointments to the board of Adelaide’s Riverbank Authority.

The authority says it will now get down to work to encourage more commercial investment in the Riverbank, including bringing restaurants, bars and more on-water activity to the crucial stretch of the Torrens.

The authority has been languishing without any board members since February when chairman Andrew McEvoy, a former Tourism Australia chief, was first appointed.

However, InDaily can reveal that a four-member team will be announced today, including Malcolm Snow, the chief executive of Canberra’s National Capital Authority and a former Adelaide City Council projects manager.

Other members include John Hanlon, the chief executive of Renewal SA, Professor Tanya Monro, a South Australian physicist, and Karyn Kent, the chief executive of Education Adelaide who previously had a long career in tourism.

McEvoy told InDaily this morning that he was pleased to have such a high calibre board, which would meet for the first time within a couple of weeks.

He would not comment on the delay to the appointment of board members.

However, he said he that in the meantime he had been meeting with organisations with an interest in the area, including developers, to understand their issues.

He said the board would have three tasks – removing roadblocks to investment and development, working out ways to encourage people to use the Riverbank at times when there aren’t events at the Oval, and establishing best use of key sites such as the Festival Centre plaza and the area west of Morphett Street.

“This place has to work on a number of levels,” he said. “Locals have got to love it.”

He envisaged more events on and near the water – an area of expertise for Snow (see below).

Attracting private investment in the Riverbank was also crucial.

“I think what we have to make it more palatable for the commercial sector to invest,” he said. “The Government shouldn’t have to do all the heavy lifting.”

He said the Festival Centre and surrounds needed work, and he had high hopes for the Festival Plaza as a potential events space.

Planning Minister John Rau said the board’s skills included urban planning, tourism and research.

“The Riverbank Authority will have a crucial role to play in coordinating future development and events, as well as promoting the area,” he said.

Who’s on the Riverbank board

Malcolm Snow: Chief executive of the National Capital Authority which oversees planning in key areas of Canberra.

He has had senior planning roles in Victoria and Queensland, where he was CEO of the South Bank Corporation for six years. That project transformed the Brisbane riverbank and, under Snow’s leadership, led to the development of an interactive water-play park on the river.

From 1998 to 2001 he was general manager city projects at the Adelaide City Council.

John Hanlon: Chief executive of Renewal SA, who is bringing with him his “Vibrant City” team from the Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure. This team worked on popular changes to Leigh Street and Bank Street in the city’s west end.

Professor Tanya Monro: An award-winning physicist known for her work in photonics. She works at the University of Adelaide, but will take up a position as Deputy Vice Chancellor Research and Innovation at the University of South Australia in November.

Karyn Kent: Chief executive of Education Adelaide – South Australia’s education marketing body. She has more than 18 years’ experience in the tourism industry.

The artificial beach at Brisbane’s South Bank precinct.