by Shane Sody

It seems that nearly every sporting group that uses your Adelaide Park Lands wants to have their own two-storey building.

The latest claim for a two-storey building is coming from Volleyball SA.

The City Council last year gave in-principle support for beach volleyball courts off Port Road in Bonython Park / Tulya Wardli (Park 27)

An opportunity for the public to enjoy an open, sandy place to play volleyball would be consistent with the Open, Green, Public standard for your Park Lands.

However that's only part of the push now coming from Volleyball SA.

Volleyball SA Chief Executive Karla Della-Puetra has told The Advertiser that “we’re hoping to have a double-storey building …to enable mezzanine viewing of the courts.”

The expectation of private two-storey “clubrooms” overtaking your Parks certainly looks like a trend in recent years.

Your Park Lands have become not just locations to play sport.

Many parts of your Park Lands have become, in recent years, venues to view others playing sport from the comfort of a bar, a balcony, clubrooms, or function rooms.

That’s what’s happened with these sites:

It’s also been the case (for decades past) with multiple boat sheds (most of which include function rooms) along the River Torrens/ Karrawirra Pari:

Plans by Volleyball SA are being considered by the State Government’s Office for Recreation and Sport, which might decide to allocate funding for development of beach volleyball courts.

However, it’s not clear whether this agency would also endorse funding for yet another two-storey building on your Park Lands.

It’s also unlikely that a City Council, newly re-committed to a platform of protecting your Park Lands, would agree to such a plan. It might depend upon whether the plans being developed include clubrooms, or merely a viewing platform.