by Liz Tidemann
Your Park Lands are supposed to be “Open, Green, Public.”
But for five months every year, and especially this week, much of Victoria Park /Pakapakanthi (Park 16) is the direct opposite: Closed, Black, Private.
Scenes of Victoria Park / Pakapakanthi (Park 16) on 25 and 26 November. Pics: Liz Tidemann, Shane Sody
If you live or work in or around Adelaide you are likely well aware of disruption to motor vehicle, bicycle and even pedestrian traffic in your eastern Park Lands.
Since September, much of Victoria Park /Pakapakanthi (Park 16) and King Rodney Park /Ityamai-itpina (Park 15) have gradually disappeared from view behind black plastic shrouds attached to metal fencing, while vast steel structures have erupted again, to form seating for paying ticket-holders and shelters for cars.
Scene in Victoria Park / Pakapakanthi (Park 16) on 26 November. Pic: Shane Sody
Additional tracts of bitumen have been laid, snaking through garden beds to add to a continually expanding mass of bitumen tracks across Victoria Park.
Car parking for attendees has now expanded almost as far south as the wetlands, skirting the butterfly protection area and taking over the central sports fields. Meanwhile two enormous concert stages have appeared, one in Victoria Park and one in King Rodney Park.
The current fossil fuel-sponsored carbon emission festival has transformed this formerly Open, Green, Public shared, active space into a high speed playground for those who pay to enter.
the Criterion Track, used by cyclists for training and racing: closed.
the Park Lands trail through Parks 15 and 16 for pedestrians and cyclists: closed
the Exercise Track, used by fitness groups and the public: closed
open dog off lead exercise area: closed
CBC Oval, formerly green and in use: closed and covered in sand for dirt car racing
Although the actual carbon emission motor sport festival covers only five days, from Wednesday until Sunday, the build up and aftermath of motor racing detritus on this Park drags on from September until mid February.
This take-over of your Open, Green, Public Park Lands impacts not only local residents, (many of whom choose to leave) and businesses (admittedly, some businesses report positive impacts), but also local bird and plant life.
Signs of things to come elsewhere
The current State Government plan to transform Possum Park /Pirltawardli (Park 1) and John E Brown Park (Park 27A) into similarly closed, for profit activities for months every year, will create a similar scenario, but with massive losses of mature trees, some permanent five-storey high fences and other permanent structures.
Can Adelaide afford to lose yet another piece of your world-unique green belt?
Read more about motor sport in your Park Lands
The author of this article, Liz Tidemann, is a member of the governing Committee of the Adelaide Park Lands Association, one of our Park Lands Tour Guides, and the Chair of our ‘Explore’ subcommittee.
