by Shane Sody

3,998 people signed a petition to 'Save Helen Mayo Park'

Premier Steven Marshall failed to listen. He's now lost his job. His lack of vision in trying to destroy Helen Mayo Park with a stadium, has disappeared as well.

The first decision taken by the Malinauskas Labor Government after its election on 19 March was to formally ditch this Liberal “vision”:

Of course it wasn't the only factor in the South Australian State election result on Saturday 19 March, but the outgoing Liberal State Government should have known better than to attack Adelaide's unique green garland.

Their decision to re-zone about 35 hectares of Riverbank Park Lands showed how little regard the Government had for your National Heritage-listed Open Green Public spaces.

POSITIVES

The incoming SA Labor administration has also promised to:

• reverse the recent "Entertainment” zoning of Helen Mayo Park.

• investigate the proposed Adelaide Recreation Circuit around your Park Lands, and

• legislate to protect significant trees throughout SA with Australian "best practice".

However, there will be plenty of work for APA to do with the new State Government.

NEGATIVES

• Labor is committed to destroying Frome Park with a new High School building, just as the Liberals were.

• Labor is not offering to reverse the Liberal’s re-zoning of the rest of Park 27, other than Helen Mayo Park. The party has not suggested it will abandon the outgoing Government's plans to destroy Park Lands to build a new Women’s and Children’s Hospital, nor has Labor suggested it would disown the former Government's plan to destroy more Park Lands to build a multi-storey car park next to the historic olive groves in Kate Cocks Park.

• There has been no commitment from SA Labor to even review the inadequate Adelaide Park Lands Act 2005.

• Labor is threatening to repeat the mistakes of the past by refusing to rule out, once again, putting another enclosed swimming centre on your Park Lands.

• Labor is committed to fencing off a large part of Victoria Park / Pakapanthi (Park 16) for months every year, to encourage carbon emissions, air pollution and noise pollution from motor racing.

Your Park Lands will be protected only when sufficient numbers of people demand that they are protected. People power has saved Helen Mayo Park, but the fight goes on.

Please TAKE ACTION with us.