by Shane Sody
A “temporary” campground for indigenous visitors to Adelaide, set up more than two years ago in your south-west Park Lands, is set to continue for at least another 10 months.
The “Safer Place to Gather” was established in July 2023, off Anzac in Edwards Park (Park 23 South) to assist visitors from remote Aboriginal communities.
At the time, Human Services Minister Nat Cook described this temporary camp site as:
“…a culturally safe space for remote visitors to work with services and receive any support needed to improve connections in Adelaide. Case workers providing in-reach services from the hub will be able to work one-on-one with people to provide therapeutic services such as trauma counselling, and accessing assistance for personal matters. Help with practical issues like ID, banking, budgeting, and accessing government services will also be available.”
In July 2023, a State Government news release said that this part of your Park Lands would be used for this purpose until “early 2024, or longer if required.”
The Adelaide Park Lands Community Land Management Plan allows licenced use of Park Lands for “emergency measures where the use is temporary and it provides an essential or urgent health, social or community service.” Nevertheless, since 2023, the City Council has agreed with three State Government requests for six-monthly extensions; in February 2024, in August 2024, and in February 2025.
On Tuesday 12 August 2025, the City Council approved a fourth licence extension for a further 10 months, until 30 June 2026. However, the Council also asked the State Government to arrange alternative “longer-term measures … to support remote and regional Aboriginal visitors.”
Lord Mayor Jane Lomax Smith will write to the Minister for Human Services “expressing Councils concern with the lack of permanent solutions and funding to develop such a solution.”
One Councillor, Arman Abrahimzadeh, expressed fears that if the Council did not fully co-operate with the Department of Human Services, by approving an unconditional licence, the entire area could be removed from Council’s control:
“They could come to us and they might say, ‘if you are going to play games, bugger you and bugger your license, we’re taking the parts of the park lands that we need away from you in order to do what we need to do to tackle this social issue’.”
See how this issue was reported by InDaily on 13 August 2025: https://www.indailysa.com.au/news/just-in/2025/08/13/councillor-fears-future-govt-park-lands-grabs
Where is it?
The site of this camp is on the south side of West Terrace Cemetery, alongside a large bitumen area (used decades ago, for netball) in Edwards Park (Park 23 South).
The bitumen area is one of at least eight sites identified in the current Adelaide Park Lands Management Strategy for re-greening as a "high priority" over the next "one to five years".
Former (disused) netball courts in Edwards Park (Park 23 South): identified in the current Park Lands Management Strategy as a “high priority” for re-greening no later than 2030.
However any re-greening initiatives have been put on hold while the “Safer Place to Gather” remains alongside.
Homelessness in your Park Lands
It is an offence against Council by-laws to set up camp sites in the Park Lands but this does not apply to the ‘Safer Place to Gather’ because it continues to be authorised by successive Council licences.
In other parts of your Park Lands, the City Council is reluctant to issue fines or prosecute rough sleepers, and usually tries to refer campers to support services and shelters.
