Open Space and Public Place Plan - City of West Torrens - SA.Gov.au

3.5 Health and Wellbeing
Open space plays an important role in facilitating opportunities for
recreation, social interaction and cultural activities, which together
underpin active lifestyles and improved physical and mental health
and wellbeing.
The Council's Community Plan emphasises the need for embracing
diversity, encouraging healthy and learning communities, as well as
interaction and engagement. Open space and public places aid in
delivering these by serving as venues for numerous formal cultural
events and community celebrations, as well as informal activities.
The City of West Torrens participates in the OPAL (Obesity
Prevention and Lifestyle) program which works with communities to
increase opportunities to eat well and be active locally.
South Australia’s Strategic Plan has a target to “increase the
proportion of South Australians participating in sport or physical
recreation at least once per week to 50% by 2020”. It also includes
a goal that “New developments are people friendly, with open
spaces and parks connected by public transport and bikeways”,
linked to the target to “double the number of people cycling in South
Australia by 2020”.
To help achieve these targets, the State Government's Eat Well Be
Active Strategy outlines goals and actions for supporting healthy
lifestyles. The Strategy notes that open space and trails networks,
underpin physical activity, social inclusion and healthy lifestyles.
The 30-Year Plan for Greater Adelaide contains polices and targets
aimed at ensuring pedestrian and cyclist links are established to
support active and inclusive lifestyles, along with ensuring that
residential density, land use mix and urban design create the
conditions that are conducive for physical and mental wellbeing.
3.6 Climate Change Adaptation
The potential impacts of Climate change upon the City of West
Torrens include;
• Sea level rises and potential loss of coastal reserves and
inundation of low lying areas,
• Reduced rainfall resulting in reduced amenity, maintenance
and loss of flora and fauna,
• Longer and hotter summers with increased heat island effect
with higher density urban form,
• Increased peak rainfall events resulting in stormwater
inundation from greater urban runoff.
The Council's Community Plan endeavours to actively respond to
the challenges of climate change, and a range of strategies and
actions are being implemented through Council's Water
Management Action Plan and Climate Change Action Plan.
Open space and public place will helps serve to mitigate and
manage climate change affects, by providing sites that allow for the
management of resources including flora, fauna, stormwater and
even wind or solar power generation.
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