by Shane Sody

A cascade of Freedom of Information applications may help you find out why there’s been little to no progress in the campaign to get UNESCO World Heritage listing of your Adelaide Park Lands.

Before the 2022 State election, we surveyed all political parties to ask: “If elected, how will you assist in advancing this World Heritage bid?”

Most parties (including SA Labor) responded positively (read what they all said) but more than two years later, there appears to have been little or no progress.

*Where’s the blockage on the Adelaide Park Lands World Heritage bid?*

Now, self-styled “transparency warrior” former Senator Rex Patrick has fired off FOI applications to:

the Adelaide City Council;
the Federal Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water;
Federal Environment Minister, Tanya Plibersek; and
Deputy Premier, Minister for Minister for Climate, Environment and Water, Susan Close.

Rex Patrick: “I seek access to any documentation/briefs/communications held by the official that bears primary responsibility for advancing a listing of the Adelaide Park Land on the UNESCO World Heritage List.”

Each agency has 30 days in which to respond to Mr Patrick’s applications.

**Not only World Heritage; State Heritage is still also blocked**

We’ve previously pointed out years of State Government inaction on State Heritage listing of your Park Lands. The State Heritage Council recommended this action in December 2018, but since then, nothing has changed.

However other State Heritage applications are being processed and approved. Over the 2023-24 financial year, a century-old cinema, a beachside block of flats and a cave complex were among 12 places added to the South Australian Heritage Register. There has been no such luck for your Adelaide Park Lands.

The continual chipping away of your Park Lands was raised as an issue last year at a World Congress on the conservation of the world's monuments and sites.

What can you do? Take action.

The author of this article, Shane Sody, is the President of the Adelaide Park Lands Association and the editor of the semi-monthly newsletter, "Open Green Public".

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https://adelaideparklands.m-pages.com/YWRrGW/adelaide-park-lands-assn-mailing