The South Australian government has confirmed that redevelopment work in Adelaide’s Parklands will continue despite a public campaign that has triggered a parliamentary inquiry into the controversial projects. The decision comes after a petition opposing large-scale tree removals collected more than 13,500 handwritten signatures, surpassing the threshold required to prompt an official parliamentary review.
The petition was organised by the Adelaide Park Lands Association (APLA), which is campaigning against the planned removal of hundreds of trees as part of the North Adelaide Golf Course redevelopment and other projects within the city’s protected Parklands. Under South Australian law, petitions with at least 10,000 valid signatures submitted to parliament must be referred to an appropriate parliamentary committee for investigation.
Acting Premier Kyam Maher said the government would consider any recommendations made by the committee but made it clear that construction would not be paused. He said the redevelopment of the North Adelaide Golf Course, a $45 million state-funded project, had been a key election commitment and would proceed as planned. According to the government, the project aims to transform the existing public course into an international-standard public golf facility.
The APLA argues the redevelopment will result in the loss of 585 trees within the protected Parklands and is calling for the restoration of Possum Park and John E. Brown Park to Adelaide City Council management. The organisation also wants work halted on the proposed MotoGP street circuit redevelopment in the eastern Parklands, where concerns have been raised that significantly more trees could be removed than originally anticipated.
Campaigners are also seeking a broader parliamentary investigation into how the projects were approved, including whether planning, heritage, Kaurna cultural heritage and environmental safeguards were adequately considered. The petition further questions the government’s use of legislation to facilitate major state developments within Adelaide’s historic Parklands.
Despite the growing public opposition, Mr Maher said the government remains committed to delivering both the golf course redevelopment and the planned return of MotoGP racing to Adelaide. He noted that while detailed planning for the MotoGP project is still underway, the government’s election commitments remain unchanged and the projects will continue while the parliamentary inquiry examines the concerns raised by the petition.
