by Shane Sody
One of the significant issues in this Saturday’s State election is the Premier's proposal to axe at least 585 trees in Possum Park / Pirltawardli (Park 1) to turn this urban forest into a so-called "championship" golf course.
The formal takeover has not yet occurred, but is expected to be put into effect immediately after the State election on Saturday 21 March, provided that the current Labor State Government is returned to office.
A law was rushed through State Parliament in June 2025 to give the State Government unlimited power to do anything it wishes to this Park. 92 percent of survey respondents say they disapprove of that law.
Results received by 14 March 2026, from 655 respondents to a single survey question on: “Park Lands golf course re-development”
The Premier has refused to release the hit list of the trees that he wants to destroy, and the issue has attracted widespread media coverage, including.
InDaily’s article on Tuesday 10 March focussed on the Adelaide Park Lands Association’s recommendations on How to Vote for your Park Lands.
The Lord Mayor, Jane Lomax-Smith characterised last year’s golf course legislation as a "hostile takeover."
At least two of the candidates for the electorate of Adelaide (Community independent Keiran Snape and the Greens' Bronte Colmer) have been campaigning on a platform that includes full protection for this Park.
Given this political sensitivity, it was surprising to see the message below, from an un-named City of Adelaide staffer "excited to confirm" that ground works were under way. The timing of the announcement was curious because the City of Adelaide still retains control of the area. The State Government has NOT yet taken control.
This “update” of 4 March 2026, indicates that the City of Adelaide Golf Course team has authorised and undertaken related groundworks as they "wait in anticipation for the new championship golf course":
The North Adelaide Golf Course is excited to confirm that grass resurfacing works on the North Course are progressing well, with the partial closure expected to conclude by the end of April. The newly upgraded holes on the North Course will then form a new 13-hole course.
These completed works will coincide with the closure of the South Course which is required to commence works on the new championship golf course.
Along with the Par 3 Course, the new 13-hole North Course will remain open to golf play throughout the construction period. Our team are so pleased to be able to provide access to the public, as we wait in anticipation for the new championship golf course!
If nothing else this message has been issued by someone within the City of Adelaide who, it appears, might have (perhaps inadvertently):
predicted the outcome of next Saturday's election;
ignored the groundswell of public support for our "Stop the Chop" movement,
ignored the more than 5,800 signatures on our petition: Protect Possum Park, Pete.
The petition page on 15 March 2026. The number of signatures is growing rapidly and will be relevant for the incoming Government to consider after polling day on 21 March.
That 4 March statement from the City Council’s North Adelaide Golf Course spokesperson might be construed as politically tone deaf, if not directly partisan; and in some tension with the City Council's own policy opposing this hostile State Government takeover.
Come and see for yourself
The final one in our summer series of Guided Walks, titled “It’s Not Just a golf course” is scheduled for this coming Thursday, 19 March. Book here:
https://events.humanitix.com/host/adel_park_lands
This two-and-a-half minute video, below, highlights “What You Stand to Lose”:
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".
Subscribe here.
https://adelaideparklands.m-pages.com/YWRrGW/adelaide-park-lands-assn-mailing
