State Election 2026 - Question #2

We advised each party that your Adelaide Park Lands are being gradually eroded and there is no effective mechanism to halt or impose a limit on the extent of losses. The Adelaide Park Lands Act 2005 has been ineffective at preventing continual losses of Open Green Public Space to development.

We asked: “If elected, what type of amendments to the Act would you initiate or support to provide real Park Lands protection?” Here’s what each party replied:

Party	Party Response	APA evaluation	Score

Craig Pickering, Independent candidate for Legislative Council	The erosion you mention, in my opinion, is the result of the government making unilateral, authoritarian decisions regarding the use of our Parklands without adequate, or indeed any, public consulting. I would ensure my voice is heard in the 2026 major review of the Public Engagement Charter so that respect, transparency and accountability underpin the goals of the Charter and are adequately enforced.	A review of the State Government's currently very poor public engagement practices in respect of your Park Lands would be very welcome, but this falls short of a suggestion for better legislative protection	6
Tammy Franks team for Legislative Council	I would advocate for the following amendments to the Park Lands Act. * A requirement for Government to ensure that any development on the Park Lands publicly consulted upon, for a minimum of 2 months. * A requirement that any buildings of more than Xm2 are returned to green public and open space when they reach the end of their lives. * A permanent ban on re-zoning of any areas of the Park Lands, unless the rezoning is an end-of-life re-zoning and required as a result of (i) above to return the area to green open public space.	Good suggestions, especially a ban on re-zoning as this has been used by successive State Governments to bypass the already ineffective Park Lands protections	9
Animal Justice Party	I would consult with legal experts on what amendments could serve to prevent further losses. Another way to positively influence stronger protections would be through winning a UNESCO World Heritage bid.	Consulting with legal experts would be necessary, of course, but it would have been helpful to have an indication of specific measures that might be taken.	6
Greens	One of the problems with the existing Act is that the Adelaide Park Lands Authority (APLA) does not have the power to protect the Park Lands. Ensuring the independence of APLA and giving the body real teeth to protect our public green space is an area the Greens would like to pursue. The Greens have previously attempted to move amendments to the Planning, Development and Infrastructure Act 2005 to ensure that any amendment to the Planning and Design Code that relates to development in the Adelaide Park Lands must be approved by resolution of both houses of parliament. This would have prevented the government of the day from rezoning the Park Lands without appropriate parliamentary scrutiny. The Bill passed the Legislative Council but was not supported in the House of Assembly by the Labor Government.	This is a specific proposal for reform. Obviously the devil would be in the detail but it reflects a recognition that the Act is not achieving protection of the Park Lands.	8
Liberal Party	The party's written response did not directly address this question, but stated: "an incoming Hurn Liberal Government will commit to working with Adelaide Park Lands Association to ensure the protection of park lands against the threat of re-zoning, or ad-hoc and short-term decisions that are inconsistent with the value of this unique natural asset. "	While offering to work with APA is welcome, the response falls short of any commitment for legislative reform	4
SA Labor	The Party's response referenced the "Greater Adelaide Plan" released in 2025, and a new Northern Park Lands, but did not include any suggestion for legislative reform.	This promises only the status quo.	1
SA Best			1