If you have never before contacted a politician, then NOW (before Wednesday 17 November) is the time to do it .
This week presents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to change the law to protect your Open Green Public Park Lands.
Successive State Governments have stolen large swathes of Open Green Public Park Lands for new buildings. The rate of Park Lands losses has been ratcheting up in recent years, culminating in the current State Government's push to re-zone 70 hectares (172 acres) of riverbank Park Lands for future development.
The future of the Adelaide Park Lands? Pic: Aussie Kanck
The Adelaide Park Lands Act 2005 contains no mechanism to prevent this re-zoning, nor stop the constant Park Lands erosion.
To save your Park Lands, new legal and governance arrangements are desperately needed.
This week could prove to be a crucial turning point.
The Legislative Council (i.e. the upper house of State Parliament) is due to debate (on Wed 17 November) a Park Lands Amendment Bill introduced by Robert Simms of The Greens. (The full title of the Bill is the Planning, Development and Infrastructure (Adelaide Park Lands) Amendment Bill 2021.).
The Hon. Robert Simms, MLC, introducing the Bill on 28 October 2021
This Bill would prevent any re-zoning of Park Lands without the approval of both Houses of Parliament. If passed, this would put a brake, not only on the current re-zoning plans, but also on any similar re-zoning moves by any State Government in future.
This would not guarantee Park Lands protection, but it would be a big improvement on the current situation, which leaves decisions on re-zoning Park Lands entirely in the hands of one person, the Planning Minister (currently the Deputy Premier, Vickie Chapman).
Getting this Bill through Parliament and turned into law would mark a turning point - a realisation by State Parliament that Park Lands should not be whittled away, with re-zoning allowing more and more Open Green Public Park Lands to be lost, year after year.
There are 22 members of the Legislative Council: nine Liberal, eight Labor; two Greens, two SA Best; and one independent.
https://www.parliament.sa.gov.au/en/Legislative-Council/Members
We assume that the Liberal members of the Legislative Council will not support this Bill. However, if at least 11 of the other 13 members were to support it, then the Bill would pass the upper House and be transmitted to the lower House, the House of Assembly. In that chamber, the Liberal Government has recently lost its majority, raising the prospect that the Bill could become law with the help of SA Labor and independent members.
Therefore, this is perhaps the best opportunity in recent years to get some protection for your Open Green Public Park Lands.
If you've never contacted a member of Parliament before, now is your chance to step up and add your voice. Make some personal history. - but do it no later than Wednesday 17 November.
We suggest starting with the eight Labor members, as their position will be crucial.
Here are their contact details:
https://www.parliament.sa.gov.au/en/Legislative-Council/Members
Please be courteous in your communication. There is no need to be disrepectful to these politicians, or the staff who work for them.
You can ring their office or email, and the message can be very, very simple, and clear: PLEASE SUPPORT the Park Lands Amendment Bill, this Wednesday 17 November.
It's in your hands. Remember, the Parliamentary debate is scheduled for Wednesday 17 November 2021.
