by Shane Sody
“Reading the room” is a valuable skill for anyone in politics. It would be a foolish politician who ignored feedback on what their voters believe, and what they’re saying.
The Premier, Peter Malinauskas, got very clear feedback on Sunday 21 September; from one crowded room, about his plans to chop down hundreds, if not thousands of trees in your Park Lands:
The Premier is also getting the same powerful message from the thousands who’ve signed our petition:
3,500 signatures and growing! https://www.change.org/p/protect-possum-park-pete
Meanwhile, a simple one-question survey, that asks for your opinion on the Government’s golf course takeover legislation, is giving the same very clear feedback to the Premier:
The first 405 responses to our opinion poll, show more than 90% “strongly disapprove” of the Government’s legislation, which strips all Park Lands protection from Possum Park / Pirltawardli (Park 1) and John E. Brown Park (Park 27A). You can respond to our opinion poll (only one question!) here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/68BB867
At the same time, national media attention has focussed on the concerns of Adelaide’s Kaurna community, many of whom report feeling distressed by the Government’s insistence that known aboriginal burial sites in Possum Park / Pirltawardli must be excavated and remains disturbed, to cater for multi-millionaire FIFO golfers.
Lynette Crocker, the Chair of the Kaurna Nation Cultural Heritage Association,
Mitzi Nam, the chair of the Kaurna Yerta Aboriginal Corporation, and
Susan Dixon, a Kaurna custodian and a member of South Australia’s First Nations Voice to State Parliament
were three who shared their concerns and frustrations with The Guardian, on 29 September 2025:
Earlier, the furore about the project within the Kaurna community had also erupted onto the front page of The Australian on Thursday 28 August ($$ subscriber-only link):
