by Shane Sody

Last month, the State Government announced it had delivered on an election promise, by saving your Helen Mayo Park from future development such as the previous Government's proposed massive 'Riverbank Arena'.

As we reported on 29 November, the State Government has reversed the zoning of MOST of Helen Mayo Park.

Most of the Park has reverted to 'Park Lands Zone' rather than 'Entertainment Zone'.

However the protection is incomplete.

The State Government has retained an arbitrary line across Helen Mayo Park - and left the eastern portion, closest to Montefiore Road, liable to future Park Lands loss, as an "Entertainment sub-zone."

The area immediately west of the Morphett Street bridge is still liable to be taken over, in future, by a building of the same scale and size as the previous Government's proposed Riverbank Arena, or another extension of the Adelaide Convention Centre.

This area of Helen Mayo Park is crying out for restoration, and re-greening.

Helen Mayo Park needs to be landscaped and rehabilitated as a family-friendly Park. However, the Entertainment sub-zone which Labor has failed to remove, allows for new buildings up to 20-storeys tall.

In other words, Helen Mayo Park is still far from being protected.

In campaigning for election in March 2022, then-Opposition leader Peter Malinauskas promised that a Labor Government would, in his words: "restore full protection to Helen Mayo Park."

This "full protection" turns out to be half protection.

Helen Mayo Park is cut in two, with two different zones. To the west it is now (in law at least) a Park, but to the east it remains at risk of being lost forever from your Open Green Public Park Lands.

Labor should be held to its election promise of "full protection".

Labor's Lucy Hood when campaigning for election, told us "now is the time for us to stand up and honour Helen Mayo."

Or as we would put it: "Helen Mayo deserves better."