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FOI: Govt told of barracks heritage before demolition call

The state government has been forced to hand over a taxpayer-funded report advising that the Thebarton Police Barracks has “high significance” heritage buildings – which it received a month before announcing the site would be razed for a new Women’s and Children’s Hospital.

Feb 24, 2023, updated Feb 24, 2023
Photos: Tony Lewis/InDaily. Image: Tom Aldahn/InDaily

Photos: Tony Lewis/InDaily. Image: Tom Aldahn/InDaily

The government-commissioned report by Adelaide architecture firm Swanbury Penglase, released under freedom of information laws, found that 10 circa-1917 buildings at the Thebarton Police Barracks meet the threshold for “state heritage significance”, with six of those assessed as having “high significance”.

The report, which cost taxpayers $13,380, found that an additional six buildings at the park lands site which are not heritage-listed would be “likely to attract nomination for state heritage listing”.

“The listed group of c.1917 buildings is generally in good condition and retains a high degree of integrity,” the report states.

“The group continues to meet the threshold of state heritage significance when assessed under the Section 16 criteria of the Heritage Places Act 1993.

“Previous assessments have identified other structures on the site that warrant further heritage assessment and are likely to attract nomination for state heritage listing should a major redevelopment be proposed.”

The report, titled “Thebarton Mounted Police Barracks Non-Aboriginal Heritage Assessment (Preliminary)” – was handed to the Department of the Premier and Cabinet in August last year – one month before Premier Peter Malinauskas announced that all buildings at the site would be bulldozed to make way for the new $3.2 billion Women’s and Children’s Hospital.

It was released yesterday afternoon to former South Australian senator and park lands advocate Rex Patrick following a months-long freedom of information battle.

They should have made public all the material that was before them when they made their decision

The government initially refused to hand Patrick the report, arguing it was “specifically prepared for submission to Cabinet” and therefore exempt from freedom of information laws.

But Ombudsman Wayne Lines last month deemed that the Swanbury Penglase report did not constitute a cabinet document.

In a provisional determination, Lines wrote that while the report “may have been submitted to Cabinet at some stage”, it appeared that it was “initially prepared for some other purpose”.

Rex Patrick. Photo: Mick Tsikas/AAP

A government briefing document attached to the Swanbury Penglase report – also released to Patrick under freedom of information laws – appears to remind the government of its election commitments on heritage.

The briefing paper states that Labor’s 2022 state election policy was to “ensure that demolition (of heritage buildings) cannot occur at the whim of a future government”.

It also states that Labor promised to “legislate to better protect state heritage places, including requiring a public report by SA Heritage Council being prepared and laid in parliament before any consideration of a demolition approval and full public consultation so that all South Australians can have their views heard”.

Patrick, who now runs a freedom of information consultancy business called “Transparency Warrior”, said the Swanbury Penglase report and briefing document proved that the government knew of the high heritage significance of the Thebarton Police Barracks and its election commitments before deciding to demolish the site.

“They just cast their election promise aside,” he said.

“The Government has not been upfront with South Australians. They should have made public all the material that was before them when they made their decision.”

Patrick said he had lodged several freedom of information requests regarding the new Women’s and Children’s Hospital (nWCH), the Police Barracks and the park lands, with each request met with “obfuscation and resistance”.

“The nWCH is not a submarine production facility or Defence Force base – it’s a hospital. There’s no reasonable excuse for all the secrecy,” he said.

“This is not about saying no to a nWCH. We can have a hospital, and heritage preservation and park lands. It just requires leadership – honest leadership.”

Part of the historic Thebarton barracks complex. Photo: Tony Lewis/InDaily

A state government spokesperson said the government had made “no secret of the fact the Barracks site has heritage value”.

“That’s why this was such a difficult decision,” they said.

“Ultimately, the government deliberately chose to make the challenging call now to set up our state for the long term.”

The spokesperson said the Barracks site was chosen following a review which evaluated seven sites around the Royal Adelaide Hospital (RAH) – called the biomedical precinct.

That review found the 20,000 square-metre barracks site would allow it to build a bigger hospital with 56 more beds and “built in capacity” for an additional 20 beds, taking the proposed hospital’s total capacity to 414 beds – 76 more than the existing hospital at North Adelaide.

“The barracks site was the more clinically appropriate option, while also delivering the best long-term outcome for the RAH and WCH (Women’s and Children’s Hospital),” the spokesperson said.

“Since the site decision was made, there has been overwhelming support from clinicians.”

According to the spokesperson, the government is “considering opportunities to offset heritage losses through investment in other nearby state heritage sites” as part of its planning for the new Women’s and Children’s Hospital.

They said that would include “consideration of investment in the facilities and resources at the Old Adelaide Gaol, which will not be impacted”.

Malinauskas previously argued that the Thebarton Police Barracks was “not Bonython Hall” and that its heritage status was “more a function of the fact that it is an early police barracks… rather than being a building of extraordinary architectural significance”.

Special legislation to fast-track the demolition of the Thebarton Barracks passed state parliament in November, with the government handing SA Police $2 million to plan its exit from the park lands site.

The legislation included a provision for a cost-free acquisition of additional park lands space to relocate the 15 SA Police operation units – including the mounted police greys and dog units – which have been based at the Thebarton Barracks for 105 years.

An SA Police spokesperson told InDaily earlier this month that planning for the relocation was “on schedule and within budget”, but it would be “inappropriate” to comment on sites under consideration due to potential procurement impacts.

Another freedom of information document released by SA Police to Patrick reveals the government is considering leasing multiple sites to accommodate the various police units currently operating from Thebarton.

The document – titled “Expression of Interest – Industrial Lease Premises” – states SA Police was on the hunt for premises that would be “coming to market by Feb/March 2023”.

“Multiple new operational/industrial facility options are being explored by South Australia Police (SAPOL), to be located in the inner western/inner northern suburbs, to a maximum of 10km from the CBD,” the document states.

“This is an immediate requirement.”

An expressions of interest document released by SA Police under freedom of information.

The state government has previously said that “early works” preparing the Thebarton Barracks site for the new $3.2 billion Women’s and Children’s Hospital build would start by the end of this year, with additional “enabling works” planned to begin in 2024.

It wants the hospital to be complete by 2030-31.

Asked last month what schedule had been provided to SA Police for its relocation out of the Thebarton Barracks, Police Minister Joe Szakacs told InDaily: “Functions will begin moving from the location this year”.

Szakacs did not respond to questions asking when SA Police was required to move and when they are anticipated to make a final decision on where they will relocate.

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