by Carla Caruso

Hopes for a greener, shadier Victoria Park / Pakapakanthi (Park 16) have hit a roadblock.

Campaign group, Reimagining Victoria Park, was founded in late 2020 to raise concerns about the park becoming a bitumen heat-sink.

A large area of Victoria Park / Pakapakanthi has been off-limits to the public since early 2000, having been taken over, since then, for a COVID-19 testing station.

The COVID test facilities took over the area that had been previously used for the annual Adelaide 500 Supercars carnival. In 2020, the former Liberal State Government dropped its sponsorship for the motor racing festival, due in part to declining patronage.

However, newly-elected Premier Peter Malinauskas has wasted no time fulfilling his election campaign threat to bring back the controversial carbon-emission motor racing anachronism.

The Reimagining Victoria Park group is now re-grouping to consider what might realistically be achieved given the present political circumstances.

Professor Doug McEvoy has stepped down as chair, while fellow advocate Elizabeth Rushbrook plans to reconvene and re-invigorate the group.

In the meantime, Professor McEvoy is hoping that all the group’s campaign efforts won’t be undone.

“We face a new reality following the recent election of a Labor Government,” Professor McEvoy says. 

“The Adelaide 500 and other motorsports events will return to Victoria Park later this year and possibly for the next few years as well.

“This does not change the fact that the present and future amenity of Victoria Park – one of Adelaide’s most heavily used and best-loved parks for general community recreation and sports – is in jeopardy because, firstly, there is inadequate tree canopy to counter the impacts of global warming and provide shade for walkers, runners, cyclists and spectators; and secondly, based on past experience, the Adelaide 500 race excludes the public from a large swathe of the park for five months each year.”

The Adelaide City Council acknowledged the problem of inadequate tree cover at the park at a meeting last October. The Adelaide Park Lands Authority agreed - and advised the council in February to investigate increasing the tree canopy. 

It’s a responsibility, which Professor McEvoy - also a committee member of the South East City Residents Association - says the council “must take seriously”.

“With careful redesign, the tree canopy could be extended around the sports ovals to provide shade for players and spectators, and alongside paths and bitumen roadways, to shade walkers, runners and cyclists. 

“[The] council should also insist that, if the Adelaide 500 race is to include Victoria Park, the construction and dismantling of all infrastructure – for example, spectator stands, barriers, and pit lane buildings – be contained within a much shorter period: eight weeks or less.

“Finally, the council should be urged to work with the state government to find an alternative site or sites for COVID testing. 

“Green space is in very short supply in Adelaide. Victoria Park is too precious a green space to become a permanent or semi-permanent public health facility as seems to be the present trend, or to have large sections locked up for long periods each year for a four-day car race.”

Premier Malinauskas has appointed Andrew Daniels – the former Adelaide 500 boss – to spearhead the project ($$ subscriber-only link) to bring back the motor racing festival in December (a shift from its usual March date).

Mr Daniels also said he would examine shortening the timeframe for erecting and dismantling the event’s infrastructure.

As well, he promised an adequate solution to relocating the COVID-19 testing site, now occupying the Victoria Park track, would be found before the event in six months’ time. 

Glenside resident Ted Jennings, who has an Instagram page dedicated to a gum in Victoria Park – @adelaides_lungs – has also despaired about the race’s inevitable return.

Mr Jennings says he’s unhappy “about governments funding fossil fuel events that do not break even, forcing taxpayers to foot the bill; migrants from war-torn areas being terrified of RAAF aircraft flying over their houses; traffic snarls; loss of bicycle routes [and] open, green space being held hostage for months on end.”