Media Releases

“The Council is very proud of the redevelopment of St Morris Reserve, which was delivered as part of Stage 4 of the $20 million Trinity Valley Stormwater Drainage Upgrade,” says Mayor Robert Bria.

“The transformation of the reserve is nothing short of amazing and is another example of the Council’s ongoing commitment to providing quality infrastructure across the City that meets the social and cultural needs of our community whilst also addressing an important environmental imperative.”

A contemporary play space and social hub

At the heart of the upgrade is a brand-new playground, replacing equipment that was well and truly at the end of its useful life.

The new playground includes multi-age equipment and integrated shade sails for sun-safe play. Families can also enjoy a dedicated picnic shelter, BBQ facilities, accessible toilet facilities and improved park furniture, all connected by a network of accessible paths.

Active recreation and greener landscapes

For those seeking an active leisure lifestyle, the reserve now features a multi-purpose court and a dedicated hit wall for basketball and other activities.

The reserve has been revitalised with extensive irrigation and landscaping, including new trees, shrubs and water-sensitive urban design (WSUD) elements such as a landscaped swale which collects stormwater runoff and serves as natural irrigation.

While the redevelopment of the reserve required the removal of some trees within the basin area, 148 new trees have been planted which will significantly enhance the local tree canopy cover and create a greener, cooler space and neighbourhood.

Dogs can continue to enjoy St Morris Reserve with off-leash times remaining between 5pm and 8am, seven days per week.

Building a resilient city

The redevelopment of St Morris Reserve is a cornerstone of the broader Trinity Valley Stormwater Drainage Upgrade project, a $20 million investment designed to reduce flooding risks across the suburbs of St Morris, Trinity Gardens, Maylands and Stepney.

Stage 4 of the Trinity Valley Stormwater Drainage Upgrade involved the installation of new pipes and pits within the roadway of surrounding streets such as Glynburn Road, Third Avenue, Green Street, Seventh Avenue and Gage Street.

A vital part of this essential upgrade of the City’s stormwater infrastructure has been the construction of an open detention basin within the reserve, creating a dual purpose for the site.

This basin has been engineered to increase capacity of stormwater drainage infrastructure during one-in-100-year storm events—that is, a severe storm or flood that has a 1% chance of occurring in any given year.

With more frequent intense rain events occurring throughout the year, there is a need to improve the capacity of the City’s stormwater drainage system.

During such an event, the basin is designed to fill over approximately three hours and hold water for up to eight hours before slowly discharging it back into the stormwater system. Outside of these rare major events, the basin remains a grassed, open green space for the community to enjoy.

Delivering the redevelopment of St Morris Reserve and Stage 4 of the Trinity Valley Stormwater Drainage Upgrade involved significant engineering hurdles, including integration of new infrastructure into existing networks and managing major earthworks within narrow residential streets. Careful planning was undertaken to minimise—as much as possible and practicable—disruption to local residents during the construction phase.

Informed by the community

The redevelopment of St Morris Reserve was informed by the community with more than 150 submissions received during the consultation in early 2023. The final design incorporated suggestions offered during the consultation to ensure the new reserve meets expectations of the local community.

Two tiers of government partnering for community

The broader $20 million project represents a landmark investment by the Council in the City’s infrastructure to reduce the risk and impacts of flooding and is supported by approximately $9.9 million from the Federal Government’s Preparing Australian Communities Local Stream Program. This funding has enabled the completion of all four phases of the Trinity Valley project, with the final stage of construction anticipated to commence in Maylands and Stepney this year.

Mayor Robert Bria acknowledges the support of the community in the delivery of the St Morris Reserve Upgrade.

“The St Morris community and residents from nearby suburbs deserve a facility of this standard and the Council thanks them sincerely for their patience and understanding during the construction phase.”

Join us for the official opening of St Morris Reserve!

To celebrate the transformation of this much-loved local space, the community is invited to join us for an official opening celebration:

Sunday 8 February 
11am – 1pm
Seventh Avenue, St Morris

Hear from Mayor Robert Bria, enjoy a barbecue, coffee, sweet treats and entertainment. And explore the new playground!

 Find out more: Major Projects

Community spirit will be strong on St Peters Street as locals and visitors come together to welcome our 40 new citizens.

Each of the citizenship candidates will take the Oath of Allegiance or the Affirmation of Allegiance in front of their families, friends and welcomed guests.

Mayor Bria shares reflections on the importance of Australia Day as a time to come together as a community.

“Each Australia Day, our community has the honour of celebrating a Citizenship Ceremony and bestowing Australia Day Awards on those who help make our City and community one of the best places to live, work, visit and play,” says Mayor Bria.

“I encourage everyone from across our community to join us on Australia Day as we warmly welcome our new citizens and celebrate the diversity of culture, experiences, knowledge and compassion they will share with us.

“It’s also an ideal opportunity to meet and connect with neighbours, make new friends and discover new ways of giving back to your community by drawing inspiration from the Australia Day Award recipients.”

The celebrations will open with announcement of our Citizen of the Year Award recipients as we proudly recognise individuals and groups who have made an outstanding contribution to our community through their dedication, generosity and service.

Their efforts remind us that it is everyday acts of care, leadership and connection that strengthen our City and inspire us all.

We’re proud to host events that bring people together and create meaningful moments of connection.

Join us this Australia Day and reflect, respect and celebrate together on St Peters Street.

Monday 26 January
9.30am — 11am
St Peters Street, St Peters

For more information, visit: Australia Day 2026 

Guests enjoyed wine and finger food while taking advantage of the opportunity to network, share stories about the year that’s been and discuss opportunities for future collaboration.

“These bi-annual business networking events are a great way for the Council to engage directly with local businesses in an informal setting,” says Mayor Robert Bria.

“Elected Members and staff appreciate the opportunity to celebrate the achievements of local businesses and hear their success stories.

“These events are also a great way to recognise their milestones through the presentation of the Mayor’s Commendation Awards.”

Businesses celebrated with a Mayor’s Commendation Award were:

• Barbara Jayne Dance Centre (50 years)
• Big Star CD’s & Records (25 years)
• Theatre Bugs (25 years)
• Wealth Transfer (25 years)
• Zhav International (25 years)
• 1645 Roasters (10 years)
• Amadio Wines (10 years)
• Blackeby’s Sweets (10 years)
• Essential Chinese Massage (10 years)

In his remarks to guests Mayor Bria identified a number of highlights for 2025 for the local business community, including:

• City of Norwood Payneham & St Peters reaching almost $2 billion in consumer spending for the first time ever (2024–2025).
• Hosting the eigth Raising the Bar event with 923 patrons at 10 bars, hotels and pubs.
• Successfully delivering of the eighth Eastside Business Awards with 9,265 votes cast.
• For 15 consecutive months since August 2024, we were the number 1 Council in Australia for the lowest risk of business failure.
• 2025 AFL Gather Round saw $4.6 spent on hospitality in the City, including $1.2m from interstate visitors.
• 153 business owners participating in the Eastern Business Advisory initiative, including 44 from the City of Norwood Payneham & St Peters.
• More than 200 business owners attending the bi-annual Business Networking Forums.
• Construction commencing on the upgrade of George Street, which is on track for completion in March 2026 and will deliver a safer, greener and more vibrant precinct.

Mayor Bria says he looks forward to the Council working closely with business owners in 2026 as it continues its progress towards the City’s next Business and Economic Development Strategy, which will replace the current strategy which expires in 2026.

Sydney will take on Gold Coast in a twilight match on Saturday 11 April and Geelong will go to battle against the West Coast Eagles on Sunday 12 April.

Gather Round 2026 will mark the first outing on Norwood Oval for the Swans, West Coast and Geelong, while Gold Coast played Fremantle in 2023.

Mayor Robert Bria says the Council is excited about hosting AFL Gather Round in 2026 and thrilled that three new teams will play on the hallowed turf on The Parade.

“The Council has had been quietly reviewing and planning for Gather Round 2026, which has captured the imagination of footy fans across the country.”

“We’ve developed a very good working relationship with the State Government and AFL over the past three years, and together with the Norwood Football Club we are ready to take our activations and events to the next level.

“We particularly look forward to greeting footy fans from right across the eastern seaboard, some of whom probably don’t come to South Australia as often as Victorians. Hosting three non-Victorian teams at Norwood gives our City great exposure to the rest of the country.”

Mayor Bria says the return of the Norwood Food & Wine Festival has been an “enormous success” with 90,000 patrons ion April 2025, a significant leap from the 70,000 patrons in 2024.

“There is no other suburban ground like Norwood Oval where you step out of the stadium and a massive street party is at your feet,” said Mayor Bria.

Mayor Bria’s says the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the 2025 Gather Round resulted in $15.8 million consumer spending in the City of Norwood Payneham & St Peters, of which $1.2 million can be attributed to interstate visitors.

Victorians spent $750,000 while visitors from New South Wales forked out $191,000 and Queenslanders $182,000.

Consumer spending on hospitality during those three days was $4.6 million, with $1.5 million spent on the Sunday when the Norwood Food and Wine Festival was held.

Media enquiries: Robert Bria on 0431 754 077 or Allison Kane on 0499 558 834

Mayor Robert Bria says the Council is excited to continue this important public art initiative with the support of the State Government.

“The Council’s success in winning this grant demonstrates our commitment to supporting public art in our City.

“It is also a strong vote of confidence from the State Government in our ability to deliver an impactful project and be an exemplar for local government in terms of commissioning major public artwork.”

The first stage of concept design for the fifth Quadrennial Public Artwork was undertaken in February 2025, which attracted 42 submissions from local and interstate artists.

A selection panel shortlisted three artists and artistic teams to further develop their site-specific concepts, with the selected artistic team now preparing detailed designs.

“This fifth Quadrennial Public Artwork will bolster our City’s well-earned reputation for standing firm on its long-term vision to foster creativity in the City of Norwood Payneham & St Peters,” says Mayor Bria.

The artwork will be located on Osmond Terrace and unveiled by August 2026, at which time it will join the Council’s four previous Quadrennial Public Artworks:

• Seed Mix (Hackney, 2022)
• Perpetual Sun (Stepney, 2018)
• Fallow (St Peters, 2014)
• Spectrum (Norwood, 2010).

Mayor Bria said positioning the artwork on Osmond Terrace where it intersects with William Street, will present an environment with clear lines of sight for motorist, cyclists and pedestrians. 

“The combination of Adelaide’s premier boulevard, residential buildings and a tree-lined median strip provides a stunning setting for the artwork,” he says.

Under the Council’s Public Art Policy, the Council has allocated $300,000 during this current four-year term of Council for the artwork, which includes the $100,000 grant from

Media enquiries: Robert Bria on 0431 754 077 or Allison Kane on 0499 558 834.