by Carla Caruso
Adelaide city South Ward councillor Keiran Snape is the Deputy Lord Mayor for 2024 – the first current APA member to hold that position.
Cr Snape defeated other contenders, David Elliott and Henry Davis, in a secret ballot between councillors late last year, winning with eight votes.
Cr Snape took over from Cr Phillip Martin (another strong Park Lands supporter), in the role of Deputy Lord Mayor, from 1 January. The job is subject to an annual, internal ballot of councillors.
Adelaide’s new Deputy Lord Mayor, Councillor Keiran Snape.
Cr Snape said it was “a great honour and privilege” to be the first current APA member (a Life Member at that) in the position. He also previously served on our committee.
“I think it’s a statement for all the support out there in the community for our Park Lands,” Cr Snape said.
“We need to vote for people who genuinely support the Park Lands and also keep voting for people who support the Park Lands.
“A lot of people say the right words, get in [to council], and then their attitudes change. And if their attitudes change and they don’t represent what they said they were going to, then we need to vote those people out.
“People who stick around, do the right things and keep supporting the Park Lands, those are the people we need to keep supporting. We can’t take things for granted.”
Cr Snape addressing the ‘Save Mirnu Wirra’ rally on 1 April 2023.
Cr Snape has been a city councillor since August 2021 and will continue to advocate for your Park Lands in his new role.
“I certainly want to use my position to call on the State Government to advance State Heritage listing of our Park Lands,” Snape said.
“And in my role on Kadaltilla, the Adelaide Park Lands Authority, I hope to continue to progress the World Heritage Listing of the Park Lands as well. So those are two things that I certainly feel quite passionate about.”
As well, he will still “use my voice to oppose the State Government’s misuse and overdevelopment of the Park Lands, including the new Women’s and Children’s Hospital site and the VAILO 500 [car race in Park 16].”
The State Government’s proposed eight-storey car park on the corner of Gaol Rd and Port Road on Kate Cocks Park. Image: State Government artist’s impression.
According to Cr Snape, the council now has a different vibe to when the conservative-leaning ‘Team Adelaide’ was the majority faction.
“The vast majority of the council wants to do the right thing, and when we agree or disagree, we tend to be able to move forward.
“Unfortunately, the Team Adelaide faction is still around, but they don’t have the numbers. So, therefore, at worst, they’re disruptors and not actually making policy. [Though this] could, in my mind, negatively affect the city.
“Those of us who aren’t involved in that faction, if someone from that faction camp comes along with a good idea, we will listen to that. We’ll incorporate that into what we are doing … We want to be the adults in the room.”
Cr Snape at the ‘Save Mirnu Wirra’ rally on 1 April 2023.
Being Deputy Lord Mayor will double Cr Snape’s workload. His duties will include stepping in as the Lord Mayor’s spokesperson when Jane Lomax-Smith is unavailable to attend official appearances and presiding over council meetings in her absence.
Beyond that, Cr Snape said: “A large part of why I ran for council, and I want to expand on that as Deputy Lord Mayor, is actually helping to bridge the gap between the community and council.
“Even though we are the closest level of government to the community, I think a lot of people in the community sometimes still feel that councils, in general, are not as closely connected as they should be to that community.
“So, I certainly want to, as a philosophy, close that gap. And a more specific example is something that I’ve been fighting for quite some time, but I’m feeling a bit of momentum, is the creation of a new [Adelaide] South West community centre … Hopefully, my plan [for this] is in time for the next budget.”
This could mean the council undertaking a new build or refurbishing an existing building for the cause. “I’ve expanded from just the community centre as a base to also including a small library section and a Library of Things as well [where locals could loan out a variety of items, from power tools to camping equipment]. So, it is creating a bit of a community hub.”
Councillor Snape (left) pictured with Lord Mayor Jane Lomax-Smith (centre) and Councillor David Elliott (right) in support of a letter to the Premier to progress a ban on gay conversion therapy.
Meanwhile, in his personal life, Cr Snape said: “I’m happily married. We’re still in the south-west. We’re still enjoying our lives in the city. We’re not going anywhere. And we hope to be here in the city for a long time to come.”
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There are three other Adelaide Park Lands Association members also on the city council: councillors Henry Davis, Janet Giles, and Carmel Noon.
A former Deputy Lord Mayor, David Plumridge, became an APA member after leaving office some years ago.
Becoming a Member signifies that you support our activities and share the Objectives in our Constitution (in short: that your Adelaide Park Lands should be ‘Open, Green, Public’).
If you love the Adelaide Park Lands, then being a financially paid-up member is “putting your money where your mouth is”.
As a financial member, you get:
the priceless satisfaction of supporting our work; to help others “Explore”, “Inspire”, “Protect”, and “Restore”
free participation in our regular guided Park Lands walks;
eligibility to become a Park Ambassador and lead an annual guided walk through one Park;
15% discount on Park Lands merchandise from the APA shop;
eligibility to nominate for election to the Managing Committee;
the responsibility to help guide our activities through the Annual General meeting; and
a printable PDF annual membership certificate:
Find out more about APA Membership here: https://www.adelaide-parklands.asn.au/membership
