by Shane Sody
We Love Your Park Lands. That’s why, for more than 18 months, we have campaigned to try to convince either the State Government, or the Adelaide City Council (or both) that a proposed new Aquatic Centre should go on a brownfield site.
Our campaign was about MORE trees, on a fully-restored and fully-protected Denise Norton Park / Pardipardinyilla (Park 2).
This was a campaign to PROTECT and RESTORE your Open, Green, Public Treasure.
We had overwhelming support for that position.
We campaigned relentlessly, using social media, newsletters, YouTube, and mainstream media:
Our hopes were raised earlier this year, when the State Government purchased the cleared former West End brewery site just 1.6km away from the existing Aquatic Centre, and we met both the Lord Mayor and the Premier to present thousands of petition signatures.
APA President Shane Sody, and Deputy President, Ben Ayris, earlier this year, presenting thousands of petition signatories to the Lord Mayor at the Town Hall (left) and the Premier, at Parliament House (right).
But on Monday 13 November, the day after our “Be a Lungs Lifeguard” event, the calm in Denise Norton Park / Pardipardinyilla (Park ) was shattered by the discordant buzz of chainsaws, wielded by State Government-hired tree assassins Jensen Plus and their crew.
Pic: Eve J
Pic: Eve J.
Your Park Lands have suffered.
The State Government (aided and abetted by a compliant City Council) has trashed another three hectares of your Open, Green, Public space.
Yes, we know the City Council has undertaken to restore the site of the old Aquatic Centre with new landscaping (at a cost to ratepayers of $20 million) but the result could have been so much better for your Park Lands.
These trees did not need to die, if either the State Government, or the City Council had simply listened to their own community; and chosen a brownfield site instead.
The most obvious alternative site, conveniently on the tram line, and only 1.6 km away at Thebarton, is owned by the State Government, and is already cleared.
The most obvious (but not the only) potential alternative site: the 8.4 hectares of the former West End brewery on Port Road at Thebarton.
But no. These trees, home to wildlife for decades, have been sacrificed to make money for a commercial lessee, who is expected to run the new State Government-built $135 million two-storey megalith Aquatic and Commercial centre; at a profit.
The new Aquatic and commercial centre is expected to open shortly before the March 2026 State election. From that time, these three hectares of your Park Lands will be reserved only for paying customers.
The timing is not a coincidence. The State Government obviously calculates that once the new centre is operating, this tree massacre will be forgotten and the exercise will be a vote-winner.
But we will remember all these trees that needlessly died.
Your Park Lands will be protected only when a sufficient number of people DEMAND their protection. Your Park Lands, surprisingly, don’t yet have that sufficient level of support.
Please help us, to make sure that future Governments make better choices for siting new infrastructure.
Top image credit: John Bridgland
