Premier Peter Malinauskas this morning announced the results of the state government’s lengthy search for land to house SA Police’s Mounted Operations Unit, following its controversial decision last September to raze the state heritage listed Thebarton barracks for a new $3.2bn hospital.

In March, SA Police nominated Park 21 West, an eight-hectare plot of southern park lands on the corner of Greenhill Road and Sir Lewis Cohen Avenue, as its first preference – a move loudly opposed by Adelaide and Unley councils as well as conservation and park lands preservations groups.

The Malinauskas Government has taken nearly three months to weigh up whether to accept SA Police’s preference for Park 21W or choose another site.

Today, the Premier said the government has reached an “in-principle” agreement with Adelaide Airport Limited for two parcels of land of similar size to Park 21W which the government could use to house a new police barracks.

One parcel of land is located opposite the Harbour Town shopping centre, while the other is a disused equestrian centre on the southern side of the airport.

Land opposite Harbour Town, owned by Adelaide Airport, has been identified for a potential police horse barracks. Photo: Matt Turner/InDaily

A disused equestrian centre on the southern tip of Adelaide Airport is also in the government’s sights. Photo: Matt Turner/InDaily

Malinauskas said the state government will now undertake “due diligence” on the two sites and enter into a detailed design phase before selecting which parcel of land to use “as soon as possible”.

“I’m really proud of the fact that we’ve arrived at an outcome here that will accommodate the legitimate concerns of many within our community, but at the same time deliver SAPOL what they need to deliver a safe community in terms of what they need for the Mounted Operations Unit,” Malinauskas said today.

The airport barracks will be complemented by a “staging post” for the police horses on vacant government-owned land on Wright Street, behind the SA Supreme Court building.

That parcel of land will feature open-air stables and buildings for police staff, with the horses to be floated in from the airport barracks and then deployed into the CBD.

The proposed police horse “staging post” site at the corner of Wright St and King William Street. Photo: Matt Turner/InDaily

Photo: Matt Turner/InDaily

Police Commissioner Grant Stevens said the staging area would allow police officers to be brought in from other locations to service events that are happening in the city.

“We will float the horses in on a shift-by-shift basis. They’ll be accommodated in the staging area,” Stevens said.

“The staging area will include open-air stables so the horses can be rested during each shift.”

Stevens conceded that the airport barracks and CBD staging area model would require “a different way of operating” than if the government had chosen a site on city park lands.

SA Police had asked for the Mounted Operations Unit to be located within three to five kilometres of the CBD, given the police greys spend around 85 per cent of their time in the city.

“There is a lot of work to be done within the Mounted Operations Unit to establish those practices to ensure we are as effective as possible,” Stevens said.

“(The Mounted Operations Unit) are already thinking about how they are going to make this work and there is a reasonable degree of positivity that we are going to be provided a site that is suitable to our needs.

“And that CBD location for staging will make it possible for us to be as effective as possible.”

Asked whether the airport barracks selection was a suboptimal outcome, Stevens said: “The original parameters for moving Mounted Operations from Thebarton barracks was to be within three to five kilometres (of the CBD).

“The decision of the government not to utilise park lands essentially makes that impossible.

“So, we’ve been working on options that will enable us to maintain that operational effectiveness in the CBD.

[solstice_jwplayer mediaid=”zcsCEH34″ title=”Park lands protests” caption=”Video: 10 News First” /]

“Regularly scheduled patrols, I don’t think there’ll be any major impediment, but as with any unplanned event that we may need to respond to, there may be a change in practice there.”

Malinauskas also announced today that a plot of government-owned land in Gepps Cross has been selected in the event the airport barracks sites are not viable.

“The government’s ambition and focus now is very much on those two Adelaide Airport sites, but we thought it’d be prudent to keep alive a government-owned land option… if the design work that’ll be done between SAPOL and Adelaide Airport runs into any issues,” Malinauskas said.

“We don’t anticipate that, but prudence demands that we have alternative options.”

The Premier said negotiations with Adelaide Airport started “a little while ago”.

“In looking at the park lands option, SAPOL identified Park 21 as being the preference amongst park lands sites,” Malinauskas said.

“But the government naturally wanted to engage with the community more broadly, assess other alternative options.”

Malinauskas was flanked at today’s press conference by Lord Mayor Jane Lomax-Smith – an outspoken advocate against hosting the police barracks on city park lands – and Labor MP for Adelaide Lucy Hood, who has faced pressure from constituents to dump the Park 21W option.

Lomax-Smith said today she was “delighted” with the government’s decision.

“I have to commend (the Premier) for listening to community views and having a strong sense of purpose about protecting the park lands,” she said.

“He’s consistently wanted to protect the park lands and whilst the site in the park lands was always the preferred location for the relocation by SAPOL, he’s had an open mind about where it may go.”

The Lord Mayor also suggested the city police horse staging area for the horses would provide “a bit of street theatre” for passers-by.

“I’m really delighted that the horses will be staging in the city. It’s clear that there’ll be some open-air stabling which means that people will be able to see them, I hope through the fences,” she said.

“It’s great that we’ll be having horses on our streets. There’s never been any opposition to horses in the city.”

Despite the government’s preferred land options being revealed today, Malinauskas and Stevens refused to disclose the list of alternative site options for the new barracks.

Those documents are part of a protracted freedom of information battle between former senator Rex Patrick and SA Police which has now taken more than seven months to resolve.

The state Ombudsman earlier this week overturned SA Police’s bid to keep most of the documents secret.

SA Police have 30 days from June 5 to consider whether to challenge the Ombudsman’s determination or release the documents.

Malinauskas on Monday said revealing the site options would “unreasonably inflate expectations or anxiety within the community”.

Asked today whether the other site options should now be released, the Premier said: “That (FOI) process will run its course.

“Some people want to focus on intrigue, others want to focus on outcomes – I’m one of the latter.

“We’ve now got an outcome that meets SAPOL’s needs, takes into account concerns of those people… had around building on the parklands, but also gives what the government is most focused on and that’s building a new Women’s and Children’s Hospital site as quickly as possible.”

The Mounted Operations Unit are due to move out of the Thebarton barracks in early 2024.