CONTENTS
1. Editorial: From the President: The Movement to Stop the Chop Is Growing
2. Members are Ready for Battle: Park Lands Association Forum
3. Park Poetry - Flying foxes (Fruit Bats)
4. Pic of the Month – Dr Bird Nerd
5. Charles Sturt and Prospect Council Join the Campaign for Your Lands
6. The Pen Is Mightier than! 28,000 signatures and counting
7. The First Hints of Spring: Guided Walk Through Red Gum Park / Karra Wirra
8. OPINION: Time to Debunk Some Misinformation
9. SE City Residents Raise Concerns About Proposed MotoGP in the Park Lands
10. The Mosquito vs the Elephant: Save Festival Plaza Update
Editorial: From the President: The Movement to Stop the Chop Is Growing
It has been a busy few weeks at the Adelaide Park Lands Association, with more everyday South Australians joining the movement to protect our precious Park Lands.
As many people start to realise that our world-renowned Park Lands’ fate is being decided through a series of rushed, clandestine and damaging projects, I’m so proud to see that our awareness-raising efforts are taking effect.
Among the Adelaide Park Lands Association’s efforts, is the public advertising campaign that recently launched in the lead-up to the Australian Labor Party National Conference. The campaign featured Stop the Chop billboards across Adelaide, along with advertisements in the press. With our call-to-action broadcast across Adelaide, visiting conference delegates (and the wider community) could not ignore the ugly truth of what is happening here.
Media attention has helped to amplify this message - ironically with the abrupt cancellation of our previously approved billboard, along with other environmental advertisements, at Adelaide Airport. The cancellation attracted national media coverage, with questions asking why ads promoting gas and mining interests have remained.
This controversy raises important questions about whose voices (hint: those not critical of the Government’s decisions) are permitted to be heard in public spaces.
It is also incredibly heartening to see homes across South Australia hosting their own Stop the Chop corflutes, featuring the work of local artist Karo Lutkiewicz. A re-print is on the way, and you can join in by grabbing a corflute at one of our friendly host venues including Gillberries in Dulwich, Queen Street Café in Croydon, Tiba Espresso in Adelaide and Senator Barbara Pocock’s office in Unley.
Finding inspiration in the midst of our despair
While Protect is a key value of the Adelaide Park Lands Association, another is Inspire, and our supporters are finding creative inspiration throughout the Stop the Chop campaign.
Music has been a growing fixture of the campaign. John Schumann and the Vagabond Crew released the song “Rag Tag Extremist Blues” to honour the bravery of the protesters that were arrested at Possum Park, and for the thousands of protesters, from all generations and walks of life, who have come out to protest at Parliament House, at Possum Park and at Victoria Park. The song will be performed live for the first time at The Gov on 29 August, with part proceeds going to the Association. Loren Kate and Gwyn Ashton have also released songs for the Park Lands, so make sure to have a listen!
There have been more uplifting events to celebrate and defend these places. Last week in Pirltawardli, a Concert for the Park Lands ‘Kaurna Yarta, The Seasons’ was held, featuring the Taikurtinna Dance Group and the Bowerbird Collective. It brought together dance, ceremony and music inspired by the cycle of the seasons.
Hundreds of colourful banners are at all these events, thanks to local artists and every day South Australians who want to share their love of the Park Lands. If you would like some company or help to craft your own banner, The Gum Leaf Guild hosts regular sign, banner and costume workshops so if you want to join them at a workshop let them know!
Another feature of our city during this time is the hundreds of yellow ribbons tied around trees throughout our Park Lands. They are a powerful visual warning to passers-by about the threat unfolding. These ribbons have transformed individual trees into visible symbols of community resistance, reminding us that these are not lines on a government plan; they are living trees, wildlife habitat and part of Adelaide’s shared public landscape. Each ribbon reminds us what we have already lost Possum Park/Pirltawardli as well as what is still at stake.
The threat to Victoria Park / Pakapakanthi (Park 16)
The presence of yellow ribbons at Victoria Park shows what could be lost with the MotoGP circuit.
Victoria Park now faces the prospect of further tree felling, additional bitumen, more event infrastructure (including a possible permanent pit/grandstand) and increasingly restricted public access. The cumulative effect of adding another major motorsport event cannot be dismissed as temporary. Each new road, widened corner, fenced compound and period of closure reduces the space available for recreation, biodiversity, quiet enjoyment and everyday community use.
The Save the Butterfly protest in Victoria Park/Pakapakanthi (Park 16) was another inspiring demonstration of community concern. Supporters gathered near the precious remnant grasslands and formed the shape of a butterfly for an aerial photograph. The event drew attention to the vulnerable Chequered Copper Butterfly, which was rediscovered in Victoria Park in 2011 after not being recorded on the Adelaide Plains for approximately 60 years. Volunteers have worked tirelessly to sustain a home for these butterflies in the Victoria Park wetland which may become the MotoGP track. Its survival is now threatened.
At the butterfly event a new award was announced that will be given every year to a volunteer who makes a significant contribution to the Park Lands Association. It was an absolute honour for me to give the inaugural award to retired President Shane Sody. The trophy was made by local glass artist Clare Belfrage, and you can read more about Shane’s long-time contributions to the Association here.
Last Sunday, the Gum Leaf Guild hosted the “Hands Around the Olive Grove” community fair to celebrate this remarkable place, while raising awareness of its proposed removal for MotoGP infrastructure. All of these events affirmed that Adelaide’s Park Lands are worth protecting for generations to come.
So how do we know our efforts are working?
You may have seen social media and InDaily reports on the progress of the official paper petition initiated by Adelaide City Councillors Keiran Snape and Patrick Maher, which meets all the legal requirements to force a Parliamentary enquiry into the assault on our Park Lands. We have reached just over 28,000 signatures so far, which is way over the legal requirement of 10,000 signatures!
The deadline has been extended to 14 August, so I encourage you to keep gathering signatures to make this the largest petition in South Australian history!
Click here for more information on how to get involved.
What else can you do?
There are over 113,000 visits to the Park Lands every day for sport, recreation, family picnics and events. They are our future, and they belong to everybody - not one Government, or private corporation destroying our inheritance for a profit.
Similarly, this campaign belongs to everyone who believes Adelaide’s Park Lands should remain green, open and protected for generations to come.
Fortunately, there are so many ways people can join us and help us to Stop the Chop. Among these, as always, is to keep up the pressure by writing to your MPs - with contact details here.
You can also join the number of supporters who will return to court in solidarity with our courageous protesters:
Hayley Pohl and Mary Avina are scheduled to appear on Friday 7 August at 10.00am.
Salem Skelton will appear on Monday 17 August at 11.30am.
A five-day Federal Court trial has is also scheduled to commence on Monday 17 August, to hear the case brought by Edwin Kemp Attrill and Traditional Owner Janette Milera, challenging the State Government’s plans to clear Possum Park/Pirltawardli under the Commonwealth Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act.
You can contribute to Edwin’s costs here, and to the protesters' costs here.
Save the Date
And last but most definitely not least, we ask you to March for Your Park Lands, on Sunday 23 August from 12 noon to 2pm beginning in Victoria Square and marching along Wakefield Street to Victoria Park.
Make sure to bring your banners, wear yellow and most importantly - to invite your family, friends and neighbours!
The more who attend, the stronger our voice as we tell the Government clearly and peacefully: our Park Lands must be treasured, not trashed!
Register here today.
Mat Monti
President
Adelaide Park Lands Association
August 2026
Mat Monti and Shane Sodi 25 July 2026, photo by Samra Teague
2. MEMBERS ARE READY FOR BATTLE ! pARK LANDS ASSOCIATION forum
On 12 July, around 100 members of the Adelaide Park Lands Association (APA) gathered to hear an update on the Association's work over the past year and its plans for the months ahead.
3. Park Poetry - Flying foxes (Fruit Bats)
by Jules Leigh Koch
after a day of hanging upside down
the bats leave Botanic Park
fully mobilised and self fueled
their colony of 20,000 plus
swarm into the evening sky
like an inland Tsunami
endless wing formations
are patterned overhead
their road rage chatter echoes out
deterring birds of prey
as they fly along
the Torrens Valley
looking for pollen
and native fig trees
while others find only
power lines and barbed wire
their journey ends
where it started
upside down and always
before daybreak
4. Pic of the Month – Dr Bird Nerd
Musk Lorikeets taken by @dr.nerdbird (Chris Bollen).
Chris says in his post, “These holes take around 100 years to form so the preservation of old trees is a necessity for habitat management in order to allow birds to breed and flourish. Planting new trees on Adelaide’s parklands marked for golf courses and motor cycle races will lead to loss of habitat, increased competition for remaining nesting cavities and loss of bird life. It’s easy to say only 0.5-1% of trees will be removed, but factor in the number of old trees that cannot be replaced and there is the problem. The numbers of Musk Lorikeets are already reducing with competition from the Rainbow Lorikeets.
5. Charles sturt council AND PROSPECT CITY COUNCIL JOIN THE CAMPAIGN FOR YOUR PARK LANDS
Growing concern about Adelaide's Park Lands is spreading beyond the city. The City of Burnside, Norwood Payneham and St Peters, Charles Sturt and now the City of Prospect are all expressing their concern about the Government’s approach to the Adelaide Park Lands.
At its meeting on 13 July The City of Charles Sturt unanimously resolved to write to Premier Peter Malinauskas seeking urgent information about the redevelopment of the North Adelaide Public Golf Course and proposed works in John E. Brown Park. You can read Motion 7.1 here.red/portal/meeting/285.
Councillors highlighted the importance of the Park Lands for recreation, biodiversity, tree canopy and urban cooling, and called for greater transparency regarding potential impacts on public green space.
The unanimous motion reflects a growing view that Adelaide's Park Lands belong to all South Australians and that decisions affecting them deserve proper information, consultation and public scrutiny.
On 28 July the Prospect Council unanimously passed a motion calling on the State Government to consult with it and other councils about the impact of State Government developments on public green spaces. You can read the full text of Motion 12.2.1 here.
6. THE PEN IS MIGHTIER THAN! Over 28,000 signatures and counting
Back on July 14 APA President Mat Monti and Adelaide City Councillors Kieran Snape and Patrick Maher held a press conference to announce that the campaign to protect Adelaide's heritage Park Lands had reached a major milestone, securing 13,500 physical signatures. This achievement officially triggered the 10,000-signature threshold required to prompt a Parliamentary Committee inquiry in the Legislative Council.
On of Friday 31 July Councillor Snape announced that 28,134 people had signed the petition!
Spurred by growing community concern over state-backed development projects on public green spaces, the grassroots movement relies entirely on paper petitions distributed by volunteers across South Australia.
"This is bigger than any one person; this is a movement," said City Councillor Keiran Snape. "The fight for our Park Lands isn't a local, city-centric issue, it is a South Australian-wide demand for transparency."
With over two weeks remaining before the petition closes, organisers have set a new stretch target of 18,000 signatures to further strengthen the call for an independent parliamentary inquiry.
7. The First Hints of Spring: Guided Walk Through Red Gum Park / Karra Wirra
Take a break and savour the changing seasons with the Adelaide Park Lands Association! Join an expert guide on a two-hour journey through one of Adelaide’s most historically rich urban parklands.
Nestled along the River Torrens (Karrawirra Parri), Karra Wirra holds deep significance as a Kaurna gathering and fishing spot, a source of stone for early colonial architecture, and a living museum of monuments, public art, and historical curiosities, from war memorials to a mid-century snake park.
8. OPINION: Time to Debunk Some Misinformation
Adelaide City Councillor Patrick Maher has taken a forensic look at claims circulating from the page formerly endorsed by SA Labor—and says the facts tell a very different story.
His conclusion? The State is spending $45 million of public money on a project that:
reduces public access to the golf course,
has no publicly released economic analysis,
no publicly released market demand analysis,
no public project plan, and
lacks the required heritage, Aboriginal and environmental impact considerations.
All of this, he argues, is being justified by hosting an event that is now effectively defunct.
9. SE CITY RESIDENTS Raises Concerns About Proposed MotoGP in the Park Lands
Dr Doug McEvoy AM has warned that the proposed MotoGP in the Adelaide Park Lands would come at a significant cost to the community and the environment.
Speaking at a community rally at Victoria Park/Pakapakanthi on behalf of the South East City Residents Association (SECRA), Dr McEvoy said the proposal was "the wrong project, in the wrong place, pushed through in the wrong way."
He outlined the impacts on community sport, recreation, biodiversity and public access, warning that large areas of the park could be fenced off for months each year to accommodate both the V8 Grand Final and MotoGP.
"A MotoGP track does not belong in the Adelaide Park Lands," he said. "An alternative site must be found."
10. THE MOSQUITO VS THE ELEPHANT: FESTIVAL TOWER UPDATE
Artist’s impression of the Walker Tower looming over Festival Plaza and the North Terrace Precinct.
The Dalai Lama is reputed to have said, “If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito.” Our friends at the Save Festival Plaza Alliance are living proof of that truth.
Not content with keeping the State Government awake, they are now buzzing in the ear of the Federal Government, skillfully exploiting the tiniest cracks in the thick hides of both elephantine adversaries.
Save Festival Plaza Alliance Convenor Rob Farnan says:
“Despite claims of a public mandate, our community feedback shows virtually no support for placing massive CBD towers on open Park Land—and up to 50% of the public still doesn't even know it's happening. Something is fundamentally wrong with this project.”
This saga began back in 2017 with a scathing report from the Auditor-General regarding project oversight. Since then, matters have only worsened. According to Farnan, the project on public land has been characterized by:
A total lack of meaningful public consultation.
Broken Promises: A promised open public plaza transformed into a high-rise tower.
Public Land Handout: Prime public land leased to a private corporation for 100 years at just $1 per year.
The Alliance is finalizing a new submission to the State Auditor-General highlighting these severe abuses of process. You can review the draft submission to the Auditor-General, or read the Alliance’s detailed overall critique here.
How You Can Take Action
Add Your Name to the Submission: Email the Alliance at Savefestivalplaza@gmail.com. Please include your full name along with any official titles, honors, or qualifications to lend additional weight. Your details will only be included directly in the official submission and will not be published elsewhere.
Contact the Auditor-General Directly: Send a brief, polite message to audgensa@audit.sa.gov.au. Highlight 1–2 key concerns, such as:
Lack of genuine community consultation.
Loss of public Park Land to private commercial development.
The 100-year lease agreement for just $1/year.
Sign the Petition: Support the digital petition, "No Plaza Tax Tower," by adding your signature here. (The platform automatically prevents duplicate entries).
Taking on the Federal Government
Now for the biggest elephant of all: the Alliance is taking on the Federal Government. Because the proposed move involves fit-outs for the Australian Taxation Office (ATO), the decision by the Parliamentary Public Works Committee (chaired by Tony Zappia MP) must be put before both houses of Parliament.
“Given the weak financial justification and high costs associated with this move, this will be a crucial test of integrity for Federal Labor,” says Farnan.
With Independents and Crossbenchers likely to join in administering the test, the community can expect the swarm of mosquitoes to grow larger and louder.
