Background
Highgate Park at Fullarton was established by philanthropist Julia Farr under a charitable trust in 1879.
The nine-storey building was built in the 1970s on a 2.85ha site in Fisher Street, Fullarton.
Throughout its long history, the trust has supported people with disability, specifically those who have been unable to live independently without support.
No new residents have moved into Highgate Park since it was earmarked for closure in 2014.
In line with a commitment to relocate people with disability out of institutions, all remaining residents have been supported into community accommodation. The last resident moved out in April 2020.
All future decisions regarding assets and proceeds of the trust must specifically benefit people with disability. As such, the disability community and sector were strongly involved in the consultation process about the future of Highgate Park.
Consultation and the future of Highgate Park
In 2020 DHS undertook extensive consultation of Highgate Park stakeholders and the local community about what should happen with Highgate Park to best support its beneficiaries.
The decision to sell Highgate Park was made with strong support from the disability community, with clear agreement that is not appropriate for people with disability to be confined to institutions any longer.
Consultation was focused on the disability sector, including people with lived experience, however, other stakeholders and the local community were also invited to participate in the consultation process.
Community consultation occurred in the first part of 2020 with a public YourSAy process which closed on 31 July 2020.
DHS undertook community outreach activities to engage members of the public and stakeholders in the YourSAy consultation, including:
- Paid advertising via social media channels
- A flyer drop in letterboxes of the local area where Highgate Park is located in Fullarton
- Posters around the Highgate Park site.
Further in-depth consultation took place during the second half of 2020. This thorough independent consultation included interviews, workshops and surveys with more than 360 people, including people with lived experience of disability from metropolitan Adelaide and regional South Australia, Aboriginal people living with disability, and subject matter experts working in the disability sector.
The sale of Highgate Park will be undertaken via a formal Expression of Interest (EOI) process by Renewal SA on behalf of the Trust. It is an open tender process.
Trust working group
JFA Purple Orange – the non-profit disability advocacy organisation that was formed out of Julia Farr Services – is facilitating a working group to consider the future focus of the trust and provide advice to the Minister during the sale process.
The working group has been selected and will begin its efforts while the sale of the Highgate Park site is underway, providing a unique opportunity for people living with disability to have an authentic voice in redefining how the trust will support people living with disability in the future.