by Shane Sody
There was a time. not that long ago, when a “Park” meant a place of calm, an opportunity to connect with nature in peaceful reflection.
In Adelaide in recent years, that idea of a Park has been discarded. The Premier, Peter Malinauskas has driven relentlessly towards his goals of turning more and more of your Park Lands into money-spinning sports venues - catering to crowds of paying customers with loud and noisy professional sports, including several annual carbon emission motor sport festivals.
On 19 February the Premier announced that an annual motorcycling carnival, the MotoGP would be taking over your eastern Park Lands from late 2027.
The Premier and MotoGP competitor Jack Miller. Pic: ABC News
There has been no suggestion that this proposal will be subject to any community consultation; other than the State election on 21 March.
The Premier says 45 trees will need to be removed in your eastern Park Lands to create a course suitable for racing motorcycles.
Diagram of the proposed circuit; based on the former Formula One street circuit. Pic: SA Government.
The proposed loss of another 45 trees loss comes on top of other massive tree losses in your Park Lands due to State Government development decisions:
More than 340 trees already gone to build the new Women’s and Children’s Hospital and its adjacent eight-storey car park, nearing completion;
585 trees that the Premier says will be destroyed to “re-develop” the urban forested golf course in Possum Park / Pirltawardli (Park 1)
Do you see a pattern?
APA President Ben Ayris says:
“Nearly one thousand trees disappearing from the Park Lands in such a short time is a tragedy. Each mature tree provides irreplaceable environmental, heritage and community value. These losses compound and permanently alter the character of our city. The community deserves full transparency about the environmental and social impacts of the proposal.”
APA President, Ben Ayris (left) and Community independent candidate Keiran Snape (right)
Community independent candidate for the electorate of Adelaide, Keiran Snape, says:
“I’ve got some serious questions [about the MotoGP] that need to be answered before the State election. What impact will this have on Park Lands? I also need the Premier to rule out the creation of any large permanent grandstand in Victoria Park / Pakapakanthi.”
How can the Premier do it?
The State Government does not need to change any legislation to facilitate this new motorsport event. A legacy law passed in 1984 to allow the Formula One Grand Prix to be held in your Park Lands gives unfettered powers to the Minister for Motor Sport (currently the Premier) to authorise any and every motor sport event that he wants.
The South Australian Motor Sport Act 1984 does not limit how much of your Park Lands can be claimed for motor sport. Nor does it place any limits on the length of time they can be fenced off to prevent your access.
The Act gives absolute power to the relevant Minister (currently the Premier, Peter Malinauskas) to declare a “specified area” and specified “prescribed works periods” during which the Motor Sport Board effectively takes over, and “the rights or interests of any other person in or in relation to the land are suspended for the declared period.”
What’s more, there is no limit in the Act on how many such events may be held, or how often they can be held.
Read more:
Top (banner) pic: MotoGP in Malaysia. (Shutterstock)
The author of this article, Shane Sody, was the President of the Adelaide Park Lands Association from 2107 to 2025 and remains the editor of the semi-monthly newsletter, "Open Green Public".
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