by Shane Sody
As the campaign to “Stop the Chop” gears up, Premier Peter Malinauskas is doubling down on his threats to fence off your urban forested golf courses in Possum Park / Pirltawardli (Park 1 of your Park Lands) for ever-longer periods each year.
With LIV Golf underway at Grange Golf Club this weekend, most focus has been centred on the Premier’s threats to destroy 585 trees, to satisfy the demands of the elite LIV Golfers moving into your Park Lands from 2028.
However, the Premier is also doubling down on his threats to fence off your urban forested golf course Park for at least two other annual events; the Women’s Australian Open, and the Men’s Australian Open.
His plans for your Park Lands also include permanent, five-storey high fences or nets around a commercial driving range in the adjacent John E. Brown Park.
A “minimum” 21-metre fence around a driving range. Pic: openart.ai
What can you do?
Come to our rally at 12 noon on Saturday 28 February at Light’s Vision / Montefiore Hill.
It might be your last opportunity to prevent irreversible losses within a massive 90 hectares of your Adelaide Park Lands.
BOOK for the rally HERE:
https://events.humanitix.com/stop-the-chop
It’s free to book for the rally, but you can donate to the Adelaide Park Lands Association when you book. Donations will be used to publicise the rally more widely, by printing and distributing leaflets and with social media “boosts”.
Strange timing for golf course maintenance
The State Government has passed legislation allowing it to take control of your urban forested golf course, at any time of its choosing. The takeover is widely expected to occur immediately after the State election on 21 March; unless election results lead to a change of policy.
However, in the interim, the City of Adelaide is going ahead with significant work on the golf courses in your Park 1. An email to subscribers announced that from Wednesday 18 February:
the Short Course Practice Facilities would be closed to allow essential maintenance works to take place and at the same time:
part of the North Course would be temporarily closed for approximately 6 to 8 weeks to undertake resurfacing of several greens. During this period only the 9-hole course would be available for play on the North Course.
Pic: City of Adelaide
The timing of this announcement raised some eyebrows given the likelihood that the City of Adelaide would lose control of the area before the completion of this “6 to 8 week” period.
However a City of Adelaide spokesperson told us:
“As State Government planning continues for construction of the new golf course, the City of Adelaide is focused on continuity of service for club members, casual players and visitors using the facility.
“The works commencing next week are directly related to our commitment to continuity of service and maintaining high-quality playing conditions while the City of Adelaide is still responsible for the management and maintenance of the North Adelaide Golf Course.
“Until the State Government takes control of the North Adelaide Golf Course, Council will continue to provide the best possible experience for all, club members, players and visitors.”
The author of this article, Shane Sody, is a former President of the Adelaide Park Lands Association (from 2017 to 2025) and remains the editor of the semi-monthly newsletter, "Open Green Public".
Subscribe here. Reader contributions are welcomed.
https://adelaideparklands.m-pages.com/YWRrGW/adelaide-park-lands-assn-mailing
