by Shane Sody
The process of seeking UNESCO World Heritage listing for your Adelaide Park Lands is an exceptionally slow process, beset with many hurdles.
Achieving and maintaining State, National, and World Heritage listing for your Park Lands are among the Objectives in the Constitution of the Adelaide Park Lands Association.
Kadaltilla / the Adelaide Park Lands Authority provides regular updates in its Board meetings, about the progress, if any, towards World Heritage listing.
Most recently, on 22 May 2025 the Kadaltilla Board was advised that a “Tentative List Submission” had been drafted, and was ready for consultation with First Nations representatives.
UNESCO World Heritage listing for the world’s only Park, with a city inside?
World Heritage before State Heritage?
Since 2018, two successive State Governments (Liberal and Labor) have failed to act on a recommendation from the State Heritage Council for State Heritage listing.
Progress since 2018 on State Heritage listing. www.adelaide-parklands.asn.au/heritage Snail’s pace would be a rapid acceleration!
Since the Government is reluctant (or refusing) to act on State Heritage listing, it’s no surprise to find out (as Rex Patrick found out last year, with a Freedom of Information application) that the State Government is also paying only lip service (i.e. so far has provided NO funding) for a UNESCO World Heritage bid.
Nevertheless, Kadaltilla/the Adelaide Park Lands Authority is doing what it can, to inch towards the goal of World Heritage listing.
At a meeting on 22 May 2025, the Authority’s 10-member Board was advised:
The project, which began in 2022 with expert consultants, is following UNESCO’s formal process.
UNESCO will not accept a formal bid for World Heritage until/unless a nation first includes a site or property on a “tentative list” at least one year earlier. Therefore, preparing a Tentative List submission is a necessary first step.
Even a Tentative List submission requires the support of both the State and Federal Governments, and consent from Traditional Owners;
A budget allocation of $178,000 was approved by Council on 29 April 2025 for public consultation on the World Heritage project;
This sum includes funding for a formal process of obtaining “Free, Prior and Informed Consent” (FPIC) from Traditional Owners.
A draft submission, seeking inclusion on an Australian Tentative List is mostly complete, pending the FPIC process.
Anticipated milestones in 2025–26 include:
by December 2025: Working with Aboriginal communities through meetings and workshops to hopefully obtain FPIC and ensure that First Nations voices lead the way;
by February 2026: Submitting the bid to State and Federal Governments to get their approval for inclusion on Australia’s Tentative World Heritage List.
But what about State Heritage Listing?
Snails would move much faster!
There has been a more than six-year delay in acting upon a 2018 recommendation from the State Heritage Council, to list your Park Lands as a State Heritage Area.
The Heritage Council’s 2018 recommendation followed a lengthy inquiry and widespread consultation.
Strategic planning consultant, and self-styled “active citizen” Tim Jackson has written repeatedly to the Premier and other Ministers about this issue - most recently on 9 June 2025.
Dear Mr Premier,
It is now approaching TEN MONTHS since I asked your government the following questions.
What is the current status of the State Heritage Council’s recommendation to place the Adelaide Park Lands on the the State Heritage Register?
Does your Government support this protection for the Adelaide Park Lands?
If yes, what is the timetable for the introduction of this protection?
If no, what is your Government’s rationale for this position and what protection will your Government afford the Adelaide Park Lands?
As you have failed to provide answers to my questions I have some further questions.
When can I expect a response?
What is the reason for this TEN MONTH delay?
Do you agree there is a problem with our democracy when a Premier will not provide information regarding an issue citizens should have access to?
Do you consider your government’s avoidance of answers to my questions to be good government?
It is now SEVENTEEN YEARS since the Adelaide Park Lands were placed on the National Heritage Listing, are you not embarrassed that our State has has failed to recognise or protect the heritage of our Park Lands?
I respectfully await your answers.
Tim Jackson
Active Citizen
The author of this article, Shane Sody, is the immediate Past President of the Adelaide Park Lands Association, and the editor of the semi-monthly newsletter, "Open Green Public".
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