The State Government is preparing to abandon a pre-election commitment to protect Adelaide's significant trees, with a proposed wholesale slaughter of mature trees in the Adelaide Park Lands.
To save dozens of trees, take our 1-minute survey, to suggest an alternative location for the proposed new Aquatic Centre: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/KGZ7FKT
The State Government is asking you which selection of mature trees you would prefer to see destroyed.
The State Government has $82 million on the table to build a new Aquatic Centre, but is refusing to consider any brownfields site, falsely pretending that its only options are these three sites above, from which dozens of trees would have to be removed.
Some trees on these sites are more than a century old. They include many significant and regulated trees, including river red gums, yellow gums, Moreton Bay fig trees and more.
The Government's plans appear to breach a commitment given by SA Labor before the State election to improve SA's tree protection regime, recognised as the worst in Australia.
So-called "consultation" is being undertaken by the Department of Infrastructure and Transport, on three potential sites within Denise Norton Park / Pardipardinyilla (Park 2). If any of these sites were to be chosen, a minimum of 60 mature trees would have to be destroyed.
A comparison of Australia's tree laws by the Conservation Council has found that SA has the worst tree protection legislation in the nation.
The chair of the State Government's own Green Adelaide Landscape Board, Professor Chris Daniels said in the Foreword to the Conservation Council report:
“This report identifies just how far behind the rest of Australia we are. … The report clearly identifies that we need more comprehensive legislation to protect our forest.”
Prof Chris Daniels
In this year's State election campaign, Labor's Deputy leader Susan Close said:
"Labor's commitment is to improve SA's tree regulations so they are the best in Australia. .... Under the current regulations, DIT [the Department of Infrastructure and Transport] is not required to submit planning approval for the removal of significant and regulated trees ... The community believes that the Government should lead by example. This exception is not in line with community expectations and allows for the unnecessary removal of many of our mature trees."
Labor’s Deputy leader Susan Close during a Zoom conference during the 2022 State election campaign
To save the trees within Denise Norton Park / Pardipardinyilla (Park 2) please take our 1-minute survey, to suggest an alternative location for the proposed new Aquatic Centre.
Here’s the survey link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/KGZ7FKT
With your help, a new Aquatic Centre site could be a win-win for swimmers and your Open Green Public Adelaide Park Lands.
