by Carla Caruso

Professor Doug McEvoy has a special affinity with Victoria Park / Pakapakanthi (Park 16).

“I live about 50m from the park in the southeast corner of the city, and I’ve been here for 15 years with my wife, Ruth Frazer,” he says.

“We, of course, like many people, enjoy the park very much. It’s a lovely space. We’ve used the park a lot with our grandchildren as they have been growing up to play ball and cricket.”

Recently, though, he’s been concerned about the “heat sink” the park has become. With the Adelaide 500 car race and horse racing no longer held there, he and other park-goers have wondered if its design could be “reconsidered”. 

Because of its history, there are very few trees to provide shade in the centre and much of its northern section is covered in a network of concrete and bitumen.

It’s led Professor McEvoy to chairing the campaign group, Reimagining Victoria Park, which launched late last year. He’s also a committee member of the South East City Residents Association and a respected sleep expert.

“It is actually quite dangerous to take children out there in the really hot weather,” Professor McEvoy says. 

“While we love to take them out in the cooler temperatures, because of climate change, the summers are getting longer and hotter, and the heatwaves more severe. So, it’s a real problem.

“The fundamental thing is the park needs to be climate-proofed. If no one sets about doing that very shortly, basically, you won’t be able to use it in the summer months.”

Professor McEvoy’s group recently raised their concerns with Adelaide City councillor Greg Mackie. He, in turn, put forward a notice of motion to the council to acknowledge the problem of overheating and investigate enhancing the park’s greenery.

Following this, there was an outcry from motorsport enthusiasts, unhappy with the possibility that the historic racetrack might be ripped up. In discussion with Councillor Alex Hyde, Mackie amended his original motion at the October 12 meeting.

Effectively, the council has accepted that there is a “considerable heat load” there. And it’s called for two separate reports: one examining the potential for boosting tree canopy, and the other, probing heritage-listing the section of the Adelaide 500/Formula 1 racetrack within the park, particularly the Senna Chicane.

On this, Professor McEvoy says: “While the regreening of Victoria Park and fate of the car racetrack is being considered by Council, there are other things that need to be remembered and celebrated, not just the heritage of a car race.”

This includes “the Aboriginal heritage of the park, and the history of Arbour Day – of the children, back in the early 1900s, who planted trees at the southern end to provide amenity and shade in what, even then, was a very hot city”.

If the final decision is to retain part or all of the racetrack, he says, trees could be planted for shade around it, as well as along the walking trails and around the sporting fields. 

He also believes “a number of hard surfaces could be readily removed” – like feeder roads around the main circuit – without affecting events such as cycling and pedal prix races. 

The council’s reports will be referred to the Adelaide Park Lands Authority for consideration and as possible amendments to the Adelaide Park Lands Management Strategy.

Councillor Mackie told APA: “The main thrust of my intent was to support the desire to plan and achieve an enhanced tree canopy over Victoria Park, and that has to have regard to the communities of interest who use the park for recreation purposes. 

“Of course, it takes decades for tree canopy to achieve its critical mass. Ultimately, that enhanced canopy will help the users of the space to enjoy it more.”