Victoria Park / Pakapanathi (Park 16) is the largest single park within your Adelaide Park Lands. Yet, compared to its neighbouring Parks, it has a very limited canopy of trees. Much of the Park has been reserved over the years for horse racing, motor racing and in the past two years for COVID-19 testing.
Apart from the open woodland area near Greenhill Road, most of Victoria Park is wide-open and treeless. Image: Google satellite view
The new wetlands in the southern part of Victoria Park has made a welcome contribution to biodiversity with thousands of new reeds and other understory plantings. However, the lack of trees in the rest of the Park is one of the reasons that the central and northern parts of Victoria Park are so much warmer in summer than the other nearby Parks. Climate change that is resulting in longer, hotter summers in Adelaide is exacerbating the overheating problem.
Now, though, a local residents group has stepped up to get more trees planted in Victoria Park. The South East City Residents Association (SECRA) is applying to Green Adelaide for a “grassroots grant” to plant hundreds of trees in the southern area of Victoria Park.
The plantings would provide much-needed shade along the southern walking paths, around the Park's playing fields and beside the commuter walking and cycling corridor that connects Halifax Street in the city to Fullarton Road and Grant Avenue in Rose Park.
There’s a distinct lack of tree canopy here!
Doug McEvoy from SECRA says 80% of the park is without adequate canopy and shade.
Doug McEvoy with Ruth Frazer and grandson Sebastian in Victoria Park / Pakapakanthi (Park 16). Photo: James Elsby
SECRA is liaising with the City Council and hopes to receive their endorsement for planting trees in the central and southern areas of the Park.
Doug McEvoy advises that SECRA’s proposal has in-principle support for its proposal from other nearby residents’ groups and Trees For Life and is seeking involvement from local primary schools, conservation and environmental groups.
APA is endorsing SECRA's grant application to Green Adelaide. If the grant application is successful, we'll join SECRA in recruiting a team of volunteers for tree planting.
