Car park - updated October 2022
This is an artist’s impression of an eight-storey car park that the State Government wants to construct on Kate Cocks Park (Park 27). See the full story here: www.adelaide-parklands.asn.au/wch
The proposed site of the Government’s proposed eight-storey car park would destroy if not all of Kate Cocks Park, then at least this 160-year-old forest section (pictured above) which includes 15 Swamp she-oaks and 38 heritage olives.
EARLIER VERSIONS OF THE PROPOSED CAR PARK
The State Government’s proposed multi-storey car park destined to destroy ancient olive trees in Kate Cocks Park (Park 27)
The 2021 State Budget released on Tuesday 22 June 2021 contained funding for not one, but three attacks on your Open Green Public Adelaide Park Lands. All three of the attacks would whittle away more of your Park 27, which has already been subjected to decades of erosion.
This was one of the three - a proposal for a multi-storey car park on Kate Cocks Park - part of Park 27.
Kate Cocks Park (outlined in yellow) contains a grove of olive trees dating from the 1860’s and is also home to the South Australian police “greys” - the horses of the police force.
The proposed car park would have allowed thousands more cars to converge on your Open Green Public Park Lands, as the Government also intends to build another new hospital on Park 27 - the proposed adjacent new Women’s and Children’s Hospital.
The original plan was for a car park building of 15,400 square metres (equivalent in size to 59 tennis courts) that would have impacted the historic grove of olive trees on which SA Police keep their “greys”.
However the former Liberal State Government then scaled back its car park plans, so that the revised plan was “only” as big as 32 tennis courts! This was supposed to be a win for your Open Green Public Park Lands!
However this amended plan was discarded on 27 September 2022, when Premier Peter Malinauskas unveiled plans for an even bigger car park and an even bigger Women’s and Children’s Hospital on Park 27.
Read that story here: www.adelaide-parklands.asn.au/wch
THE DEATH OF 1,000 CUTS
Repeated Park Lands losses were once characterised as like "mice nibbling away at cheese". However recent attacks seem more like a debaucherous feast with participants devouring whatever is available, while it lasts.
The rate of Park Lands loss seems set to ratchet up exponentially unless the public can be alerted to save what's really precious and priceless.
There are many other sites within Adelaide Park Lands that are under imminent threat, or current attack.
If you think Adelaide can do better than this, then TAKE ACTION!
