by Robert Farnan, Save Festival Plaza Alliance
Good news this week! Watch this appearance by Greens Senator Barbara Pocock putting very pointed questions in a Senate Committee, to Federal Environment Minister Murray Watt on 7 October 2025.
Despite hundreds of letters to Minister Watt, it is plain from this video that he was unaware that Adelaide’s Festival Plaza - linking Parliament House and your Park Lands - is of hugely significant cultural heritage, of national, global, and gender rights importance, that needs his protection.
Surely there could be nothing of greater world acclaim than to be both the global birthplace of women's full democracy, and the birthplace, in 1894, of full democracy for all, across gender, racial and property ownership lines, along with one vote one value and the secret ballot.
If this globally-important site does not demand the Minister’s protection, then what would?
What could be of greater significance? It is of such significance that we (the Save Festival Plaza Alliance) intend to pursue UNESCO World Heritage status.
Does the illustration above - from JPW Design - indicate respect for that significance?
The proposed tower would become the centrepiece of the city, miniaturise the Parliament and also cut it off from your Park Lands - Adelaide's other globally famous calling card.
Colonel Light was hundreds of years ahead of his time with his emphasis on public spaces; your Park Lands, including Adelaide’s six Squares.
The erection of a 38-storey tower on Festival Plaza would undermine, if not discard Adelaide's natural advantage, to your cost.
This is a significant moment in the campaign to Save Festival Plaza.
Please drop a brief line to the Minister to point out your displeasure at his lack of awareness of this significant Australian achievement, especially after so much correspondence from us, and when he has a duty to protect Nationally acknowledged special places.
Please especially point out the huge national, global, and gender rights significance of this site.
And mostly, ask him to call in the project for assessment and review.
Email: minister.watt@dcceew.gov.au
Meanwhile….
The Premier, Peter Malinauskas, has agreed to meet a delegation from the Save Festival Plaza Alliance on Tuesday, 28 October.
We have submitted a list of questions in advance of our meeting.
We have detailed reports of vast dissatisfaction, better described as sheer outrage, about the proposed 38-storey tower amongst local developer and property groups, many of whom cannot speak out for fear of missing out on Government contracts.
They are almost universally up-in-arms at the damage it would do to the city property sector and investor confidence, especially when there is already a significant over-supply of higher grade office space in the city.
If you are in such a position and have a point of view to express (discreetly or otherwise) then please contact the Save Festival Plaza Alliance: savefestivalplaza.gmail.com
In short, there seems to be precious little support for this project, in this location, outside of the Parliament's walls.
We would instead strongly support development on another government owned site in the CBD south of North Terrace, not in any Adelaide Park Lands location.
The Save Festival Plaza Alliance (but not the Adelaide Park Lands Association) would also support a cultural uses version of the previously approved three-storey solution for the site.
A mixed use development which increases the supply of housing in an appropriate location would retain the publicly owned Festival Plaza for cultural purposes, not private profit.
Have you signed the petition? We have more than 2,400 signatories and it’s growing:
Finally, if you are on Facebook or Instagram please 'follow' us at:
Read more:
Robert Farnan is the convenor of the Save Festival Plaza Alliance.
