by Shane Sody

It's no secret that internal combustion carbon-emitting engines are on their way out.

The world is transitioning to zero-emission transport, with demand for clean electric vehicles outstripping supply.

However, your Labor State Government incongruously has chosen to renew a taxpayer subsidy for a noisy, carbon emitting motor festival in your Park Lands, ($18 million this year alone) as if that were appropriate for a 'National Park City' in a recognised climate emergency.

Your State taxes will be subsidising the anachronistic 'Adelaide 500' again this December. Fortunately, the sponsorship runs only until 2026, and the event is for only four days per year.

Nevertheless, the disruption and annexation of your Victoria Park / Pakapakanthi (Park 16) is far more severe than just 20 days spread over five years.

For months before and after every annual carnival, a large swathe of this Open Green Park is fenced, and off-limits to you, while the detritus of this anachronistic event is scattered over your Park, like discarded Lego building blocks.

To make matters worse, the promoters of this taxpayer-subsidised extravagance have had Government backing to cover even more of your Victoria Park with new bitumen, replacing former gravel tracks with a new hard surface to suit the requirements of a temporary event, that disrupts city commerce, and jeopardises Adelaide’s reputation as a National Park City.

How long will this bitumen persist after carbon emission motor sport in your Park Lands is finally retired?

Visitors to Victoria Park / Pakapakanthi (Park 16) have been expressing surprise at the extent of these new paved roadways:

"...the work of a dufus! Since 1985 or similar there has been a gravel road in place which has functioned quite well assisting traffic moving about this sector of the park. It has been a popular track for bike riders, pedestrians in particular those with dogs. There is no way any regular visitor to Victoria Park would install such a useless eyesore. What were they thinking? It’s obviously designed to provide access to the car race pits area or similar but seriously ……….an ugly bitumen road like this?" - Colin Burgin

"More Bitumen will aggravate any cooling properties of our green zones. The paths now look like light aircraft runways! I was hoping any construction for this race would not be permanent. Is the use of bitumen on walking paths necessary and legal?" - Samantha

"I was horrified to find more of our walking paths being sealed for the car racing event. The explanation in the works document from the Adelaide City Council is that this will reduce dust and mud. However it will also increase heat to what is supposed to be our environmentally green parklands." - John Hart

These new bitumen roads were authorised by the State Government; the Minister for Sport exercising powers under the SA Motor Sport Act 1984 without needing approval from the City of Adelaide.

The State Government has shown by its actions since being elected in March 2022, that it has little regard nor love for your Open Green Public Adelaide Park Lands.

Four major infrastructure attacks on your Adelaide Park Lands were announced during the first seven months of the Malinauskas Labor Government.

Paving over more of Victoria Park / Pakapakanthi (Park 16) to cater for a four-day carbon-emission festival for internal combustion engines might be considered to be a fifth such attack.

It would seem to be another example of short-sighted thinking, not to mention its inconsistency with the "climate emergency" that the State Parliament declared in May 2022.