by Loine Sweeney and Shane Sody
This is the consultation that the State Government doesn't want you to have!
The State Government has passed special legislation to take over the North Adelaide Golf Course on Possum Park/Pirltawardli (Park 1) and the adjacent Park 27A, to facilitate a redevelopment of the course.
The new legislation assigns ownership of all of the marked land - about 86-90 hectares - to “the Minister”. It covers not only the 71 hectares of Possum Park / Pirltawardli (Park 1) - home to more than 100 species - but ALSO John E. Brown Park (Park 27A) 15 or more hectares west of the railway line. What’s more, the legislation allows the Minister to take even more land, anywhere else, if wanted for ”the project”.
Characterised as a “hostile takeover” the State Government has cleared all legal obstacles to permit a loss of biodiversity and large intrusive new buildings, infrastructure and more car parks on this enormous area of your Open Green Public spaces.
The haste and extraordinary breadth of this Park Lands takeover flies in the face of many checks and balances of good government, including many of the State Government’s own policies, rules and laws.
An expert golf course designer has estimated that 60% of thousands of trees in the area would have to be felled, to widen and lengthen all fairways.
The legal takeover means there is no requirement for the State Government to consult with the public. Nevertheless, it’s time you had your say.
APA President, Sarah Russo says a public forum on Sunday 21 September is “designed to provide space for genuine dialogue between the public and elected representatives.”
APA has invited Government representatives and experts to explain what’s likely to happen to this Park; and invite you to ask questions and have your say.
“We think its vital to provide the public, and the growing alliance of groups calling for the protection of Adelaide’s Park Lands, to have the opportunity to become more informed about the ecological, cultural and community significance of this area of your Park Lands,” Ms Russo said.
On the invitation list for the Panel are (left to right):
Kaurna Elder, Tim Agius;
Planning Minister, Nick Champion
Lord Mayor, Jane Lomax-Smith;
Member for Adelaide, Lucy Hood;
Golf course designer, Peter Dalkeith Scott;
Executive Director, Doctors for the Environment, Dr Kate Wylie; and
APA President, Sarah Russo.
The event is due to be held on Sunday 21 September from 11am to 1pm at the North Adelaide Community Centre in Tynte Street.
Seating is limited, so please reserve your place by registering here: https://events.humanitix.com/stop-the-chop-community-forum
Registration is free, but needed to guarantee your spot.
In the meantime, APA has called for a halt to planning and preparatory work for hosting LIV Golf on your Park Lands.
Ms Russo says, “there is too much unknown, uncertain and not-yet-revealed, to justify moving in with the bulldozers and chainsaws.”
“With no clear plans having been released to the public, South Australians are being left to speculate about damage to a very significant place for traditional owners, about just how many trees will be chopped down, how many irreplaceable significant trees will be lost, what damage might there be to the ecosystem and the serenity in this public Park Lands, intended to be freely accessible to all.”
Kaurna Elder, Tim Agius has told APA he is very concerned about the planned redevelopment.
“Despite the fact that this area of your Park Lands is particularly significant to traditional owners, the consultation with us has already closed without the redevelopment plans having been released,” he says.
“How valid is such a ‘consultation’ with the traditional owners, if it’s more of a research exercise to assist the Government’s ongoing planning?
“Also, a cultural heritage assessment is a requirement of the Aboriginal Heritage Act, but this was not provided for the traditional owners’ engagement and consultation.
“Informed consultation is vital and the Premier needs to be transparent about his plans, in order to allay speculation.
“But the fact remains with this proposed golf redevelopment, that existing lawns would need to be excavated for deep sprinkler systems to be installed, and they could be up to a metre deep. That places any existing ancestral burials at significant risk.”
Ms Russo says that with the future of the LIV Golf event at Grange in jeopardy after next year, there is continuing uncertainty about the tournament’s future in Adelaide.
“Despite their legislative seizure of Possum Park (Park 1) and the adjacent John Brown Park (Park 27A), the State Government has had to admit they can’t deliver this as a venue for LIV Golf until 2028,” she said.
“So with 2027 now ‘up in the air,’ any further planning on the Park Lands is not only premature and risky, it can’t be justified.”
