by Shane Sody and Carla Caruso

City Council planning for the future of your Victoria Park / Pakapakanthi (Park 16) has been hampered by the State Government's insistence that anachronistic carbon-emission motor sport must take priority in your Park.

Kadaltilla/Park Lands Authority has been presented with a draft "Master Plan" for Victoria Park /Pakapakanthi (Park 16) (PDF, 50pp, 10.5 Mb).

Subject to consideration by the City Council in June, the plan is likely to be distributed for public consultation during July and August.

The draft plan includes a number of recommendations that would be consistent with an 'Open, Green, Public' Park. For example, it proposes:

• more sports fields in the northern part of the Park;

• a new “adventure playspace” within a proposed “activity hub”;

• upgraded toilet facilities;

• an outdoor classroom for students to learn about the wetlands;

• additional tree planting along pedestrian pathways; and

• understorey planting on the Fullarton Road edge.

However, to satisfy the State Government's devotion to carbon emission motor racing, the draft plan also envisages "new bitumen surfaces and upgrading existing surfaces".

The State Government is using taxpayer funds to subsidise motor racing in your Park, allowing the carbon emission festival to disrupt public access to your Park, for five months every year.

This year, it is even going to prevent pedestrians and cyclists getting across the Park for a full 60 days.

Despite the limited life of this motor racing contract, and the world-wide trend away from carbon emission vehicles, the draft Master Plan proposes that all fixtures within the park (including those for motor sport) should be “robust and durable”.

Dogs on leash? Not yet.

There was excitement among nature lovers earlier this year when it was decided that the wetlands in Victoria Park / Pakapakanthi (Park 16) would go from an ‘off-leash’ to ‘on-leash’ area.

Concerns had been raised by the public about pooches chasing wildlife and crushing burgeoning plants.

But it seems it takes time for the cogs of council to turn. There’s still no signage around the wetlands to make the rule clear to dog owners. Many dogs remain off-leash in the area.

City councillor Keiran Snape, who backed the ban in January, has said, though, that “the locations for the signs have been mapped out and the design is currently underway”.

“There will be a total of 16 signs located at key points in and around the wetlands, which will incorporate advice about the dog on-leash requirement.

“Installation of all signage is expected to be completed by 30 June, 2023.”

Park-goer Doug McEvoy is among those who’s grateful that there will be signage soon. He’s the chair of the South East City Residents Association and one of APA’s two Park Ambassadors for Park 16.

Doug’s also part of a new community-led volunteer organisation, Green Pakapakanthi, helping to re-green the area.

As he told us: “It is disappointing that it has been almost four months since the Adelaide City Council voted to rezone the Pakapakanthi / Victoria Park wetland as a dog on-leash area.

“Every day, off-leash dogs have continued to disturb the aquatic birds feeding and breeding patterns, and damage riparian plants at the water’s edge.

“The longer this goes on unchecked, the more likely it is that dog owners will see this as permitted and acceptable and will be resistant to change.

“The sooner signs can be erected, requiring dogs to be on-leash, the better.”