Adelaide Park Lands Association

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Three Park Lands attacks in one State Budget

A stadium, a hospital and a multi-storey car park - all on Park 27 and all backed in the 2021 State Budget

The 2021 State Budget released on Tuesday 22 June 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.

Helen Mayo Park - part of Park 27 - to be eliminated by a new stadium

As previously reported, the State Government is pressing ahead with plans for a massive new stadium that would effectively destroy the Open Green Public Helen Mayo Park next to the Morphett Street Bridge. The cost of the stadium has been revised down from $700 million to $662 million. However the cost to your Park Lands has not altered.

Artist’s impression of the proposed new Women’s and Children’s Hospital that is planned to replace even more of your Open Green Public Park 27

For some time, the State Government has been planning to remove the last remaining Open Green Space on North Terrace, for a proposed new Women's and Children's Hospital.

The Open, Green, Public site on Port Road that will be obliterated by the proposed new WCH

The State Budget put the price tag at $1.95 billion. The new WCH is scheduled for completion in 2027, on what is currently Open Green Public space in your Park 27, alongside the Royal Adelaide Hospital.

Newly revealed in the 2021 State Budget - plans for another multi-storey car park on your Park 27

And the 2022 Budget revealed a further grab will be made for even more of your Open Green Public Park Lands with a proposed new multi-storey car park across the railway lines from the proposed new Women’s and Children’s Hospital.

The site is known as Kate Cocks Park, famous for its grove of 1860’ s olive trees and police greys

A section of Kate Cocks Park is being used as a City Council storage area, but the Council has plans to re-green the site. The Adelaide Park Lands Authority was not consulted before the State Budget announcement on the State Government’s Plans to take over the area for a car park.

This image released by Government architects show that the proposed multi-storey car park would be on Kate Cocks Park, where Police horses currently graze among historic 1860’s olive trees.

Now the State Government has apparently decided to rip up the statutory plan for your Park Lands, and simply confiscate this land for yet more car parking.

Park 27 - showing the locations of Kate Cocks Park and Helen Mayo Park - both under attack from the 2021 State Budget

Perhaps the Park Lands should be re-named the Adelaide Car Park Lands?