by Robert Farnan

The “Save Festival Plaza Alliance” is urging Premier Malinauskas “to transform two city precincts in one inspired move that could truly invigorate Adelaide.”

A 38-storey office tower has been approved for Festival Plaza, part of Park 26 of your Adelaide Park Lands.

Few people realise that the Festival Plaza is part of the Adelaide Park Lands. Yet since 2012, successive State Governments have given away the land to the Walker Corporation for not just one, but now two adjacent office towers: an existing one of 27-storeys and another one, much taller, to be constructed alongside it.

More than 120 prominent South Australians, including a former Premier, have signed an Open Letter demanding an immediate halt to the proposed 38-storey Walker Corporation tower.

Eminent South Aussies call to halt Plaza Skyscraper (9 June 2025)

And the Federal Environment Minister, Murray Watt, has been urged to intervene on National Heritage grounds.

“Call it in, Minister” (19 October, 2025)

*Building envelope from South-east. JPW Architects*

The Premier could have both a dynamic Festival Plaza and a revitalised Victoria Square precinct, by offering Walker Corporation land with decaying end-of-life government buildings on the north-eastern side Victoria Square — such as the State Administration Centre, Education Department Tower, Wakefield Tower and Torrens Building –-- instead of on Festival Plaza.

*The north-eastern corner of Victoria Square / Tarntanyangga. Pic: Google Earth*

This would turn a looming costly disaster into a potentially city-shaping solution: a rebirth of Adelaide, possibly for its 2036 Bicentenary.

This vision would deliver two live, pulsing centres:

An open low-rise cultural uses Festival Plaza attracting millions each year -- and potentially bringing tens of millions into Adelaide’s economy.
A renewed Victoria Square precinct with, probably, mixed development housing thousands and bringing life back to the city’s centre – and helping solve housing shortage.

A reminder that the current deal:

gives away Festival Plaza public land for $1 a year for 100 years,
would legally allow around $35 million in rent per year to leave the state and
discards the huge civic and economic value of an open, welcoming plaza, and its potential for the celebration of global democracy.

Under current arrangements, the State is even responsible for end-of-lease demolition costs -- tens of millions at current value (far into the future though, this would be).

Adelaide is ahead of the pack with a city plan that is unique, and nearly two hundred years ahead of its time, with its emphasis on public spaces: Squares and Park Lands, but the city must not be dragged backwards into failed 20th century thinking.

And it is open plazas that are the absolute hearts of modern cities. Our city badly needs the open low-rise cultural space that was promised.

In the face of a looming disaster at Festival Plaza, the Premier has a tough call, but the opportunity of a lifetime to do something that would make him, and make his city, by enlivening it from end to end.

With South Australia‘s 2036 Bicentenary on the horizon the Commonwealth should also be engaged to assist in this plan.

The Premier cannot walk away from this challenge. We need two live zones – not two dead zones, and a new Adelaide that builds on the strengths of the old.

Thank you for persisting with the letters you have written, there is now a simple black and white choice.

If you can, please write briefly to tell the Premier he must act, that we want two areas invigorated, a potential rebirth of Adelaide - an Adelaide alive.

Action in State and Federal Parliament

The Greens’ Robert Simms focussed on this issue during a speech on 12 November in the Legislative Council:

Mr Simms’ motion, “calling on the Malinauskas government to intervene to prevent the construction of Festival Plaza Tower 2” was defeated 16 votes to 2, after the Liberals sided with the Labor Government. You can read Mr Simms’ speech here:

https://hansardsearch.parliament.sa.gov.au/daily/uh/2025-11-12/61

On 25 November, 2025, Greens Senator Barbara Pocock told the Senate, in Canberra:

“It's time to listen to South Australians, citizens, not billionaire developers. Minister Watt has the power to do this. South Australians want to see the EPBC powers used to enable proper consultation, and we cannot sacrifice the brilliant historical heritage values of our state to corporate interests and commercial deals which don't stack up.”