16th May 2021

An open letter to the Councillors of the Rural City of Murray Bridge,

I write to display the communities continued and strong support of the ongoing status of Wilden’s Way as Community Land. For the area to be available for public access and to secure a growing economic future and river lifestyle for Murray Bridge.

For many years the lessees and potential developers of the shack areas of Wilden’s Way have challenged the resolve and fortitude both of Council and of the Murray Bridge community, who have had to be ever vigilant in the protection of this precious piece of prime riverfront land, centred within our beautiful river city.

In 2007, and with the full support of the community, Councillors voted to register the entire area of Wilden’s Way as Community Land. To ensure its protection as a publicly accessible community space, post the expiry of the current lease arrangements.

Although there was the minor hiccup of Council’s paperwork not being filed, this has now been addressed, and clearly means that the Council cannot negotiate a sale of any of this land without community consultation in the future.    

Since this time however there have been numerous claims by lessees, developers and unsolicited proposals to purchase this land. Each and every one testing the will of the community, and each time ending in the same result – central riverfront in our town should remain as open space in the hands of the community.

In 2019 the Council came perilously close to entertaining a potential submission for sale, until it was reminded of the legal requirements of the registration of Community Land that had been determined in 2007 (Murray Valley Standard, 29 Nov 2019).

We raised our voices as Murray Bridge residents then, and the community made it clearly known via written submissions to council and social media that they maintained the strong support for the area to be publicly accessible recreation land.

In February 2020 Councillors, the same councillors as continue to represent Murray Bridge today, voted to approve a draft plan to return Wilden’s Way to open space as the shack owners’ leases expire. It was reported that.

“No new shacks, sheds, jetties, boat ramps or pumps will be able to built there in the meantime, except by the council for community use.

The council will commit to professionally managing the land, carrying out visual inspections, encouraging walking and cycling in the area, and maintaining "the widest possible community access" to the riverfront.

Council staff will come up with a separate plan to improve the swamp area behind the shacks.” (Murray Valley Standard, 12 Feb 2020).

Consultation on the draft Community Land Management Plan A12 Wilden’s Way was undertaken through March 2020. The overwhelming public response was to support the council’s proposal of registering Wilden’s Way fully as Community Land.

At the September 2020 Council meeting Cr Keen moved the adoption of the Final Community Land Management Plan for Wilden’s Way, this was unanimously supported by all Councillors. The resulting final plan was to be communicated by upload onto the Council’s website, however, is still not available on the public website today.

So how is it 15 months later we find ourselves yet again entertaining an unsolicited proposal, in secrecy, made by lessees and a few high profile names?

The current proposal of $4.7 million for the freehold purchase of the land, has been heard at Council behind closed doors. Supported by 157 names, including the name of prominent businessman Darren Thomas, of Thomas Food International.

Put simply this equates to each of the 22,495 residents of Murray Bridge each being paid $209 to never ever be able to walk the length of the riverfront through town or access the river at Wilden’s Way ever again.

In a growing town, where with upcoming developments such as the Bridgeport Hotel, the rebuild of Thomas Foods International and the opening of Monarto Safari Park, expansion and improvement of the public riverfront areas is now more vital than ever. Not only will our town’s need to accommodate more residents and visitors, it will also need open spaces for them to play and relax.

The investment into the ‘headline projects’ of the Wharf Precinct, Sturt Reserve and the Long Island Boat ramp by Council are very much welcomed and an important aspect to improving our community lifestyle and visitor attractiveness, however ‘expansion’ of our town’s riverfront is also key to making a great future for Murray Bridge.

Sale of this land for the small price of $4.7 million, greatly undervalues the future economic benefits and social value of the area that only increases, as the leases expire. Expiry is not a distant as 2061. The truth is that many leases have already expired and many will expire over the next decade, the last lease to expire will be in just 40 years’ time. The community have already been supporting the council to create public access and open space use of this land for more than 15 years, it is time to realise the goals.  

Increasingly the riverfront reserves are overflowing and crowded. The economic stimulus to local businesses generated by visitors and residents getting out along and on the river is currently limited where it is simply not possible to find room to stay, play and relax on our riverfronts.    

The positioning of Wilden’s Way between the existing reserves of Long Island and Tumbella makes the area prime open space to be able to get maximum benefit from the expansion from a small investment in creation of public parkland. Initially simple grassed areas and a few trees are all that is needed, giving the opportunity to spread out with your picnic blanket, kids and boat. The first step does not need to be a Sturt Reserve replication.

Of the 17 blocks that are within Wilden’s Way, council currently has full control of 6 vacant blocks where the leases have already expired. In early 2020 the process began to bring these blocks back into the publicly useable open space, with on ground works to level the soil, spread grass seed and remove weeds. However this seems to have again stalled, along with the implementation of the Community land Management plan for Wilden’s Way. The commitment made by council in February and again in September 2020 needs to be realised.

The opportunity of Wilden’s Way could and should be fulfilled sooner rather than later. The community has never indicated over the 15 years of discussion that there is a feeling of anti-development on the riverfront, but rather of a strong determination that the land should remain as community land and be publicly accessible. This could mean that lease arrangements with cafes, tourism operators, or even accommodation, are all on the cards dependant on maintaining public access to the riverfront and with consultation and consideration of our community needs.    

Mayor Lewis has recently said “that it’s time for sensible debate” and suggests that much of the opposition to sale is tall-poppy syndrome and a poor understanding of the costs involved.  

Our response is Council it is time to hold your Community Land Management Plan up high, for you to listen to carefully to your community, and to act.

Our towns future is in your hands. Our kids and grandkids need to be able to love the riverfront town of Murray Bridge and the wise decisions that were made, for the long term and for them.  

We will continue to watch what happens next; we will stand vigilant to maintain our community land at Wilden’s Way, Riverfront Road and any other riverfront that should be in the control of the community.

I enclose with this open letter the 230 signatures from our community, and the comments of concerned residents of Murray Bridge who, within 24 hours had reached a greater number than the 157 signatures provided by the lessees in their unsolicited bid to council.

We would like this petition to be acknowledged at the next council meeting and to hear the council reaffirm its commitment to the Community Land Management Plan for Wilden’s Way, a plan that was approved unanimously by council as recently as September 2020.

Yours sincerely,

Murray Champion

(a group of residents, with a fundamental belief in publicly accessible riverfront in our town)