Expressions of interest?

by Shane Sody

Many of the sports grounds or playing fields within your Open, Green, Public Adelaide Park Lands are licenced to schools, or clubs, or to the University of Adelaide..

This means that the licensee has the first right to use the sports ground. Anyone else can use the fields when the licensee organisation does not have anything arranged.

But these licences don’t last forever. From time to time, the City Council calls for Expressions of Interest to see who else might be interested in licensing sports fields or courts.

Presently, there are “Expression of Interest” processes under way for several locations within your Park Lands.

  1. King Rodney Park King Rodney Park / Ityamai-itpina (Park 15).

    The City of Adelaide is proposing a five-year licensing arrangement, commencing September 2025, over two sports fields, a building and this storage facility:

The sites to be licensed for five years, (2025-2030) in King Rodney Park / Ityamai-itpina (Park 15)

These facilities have all been licenced for many years to Christian Brothers College (CBC) in Wakefield Street; but the Expression of Interest process opens the possibility that some other organisation might take over, or share the facilities in future, with CBC.

2. Fenced courts in Carriageway Park / Tuthangga (Park 17);

A similar five-year licensing arrangement is being proposed for this artificial-surface playing court area off Hutt Road. This too, has been licenced for many years, by Christian Brothers College.

Location of the fenced court, to be licensed for five years, (2025-2030) off Hutt Road in Carriageway Park / Tuthangga (Park 17)

3. Multiple sites in Victoria Park / Pakapakanthi (Park 16)

(a) This criterium (cycling) track:

(b) this “premium” sports field adjacent to the Heritage Grandstand, with flood lighting;

and (c) three southern sports fields, each with a hard wicket cricket pitch

The licensing arrangements proposed for Victoria Park / Pakapakanthi are for much shorter periods: just a single season or a single year, i.e:

  • Winter Season 2025 (1 April 2025 – 30 Sept 2025)

  • Summer Season 2025/26 (1 October 2025 – 31 March 2026)

  • Full year (1 April 2025 – 31 March 2026)


Increased access to Park Lands sports fields

For all of the above Expressions of Interest, the City of Adelaide says it is looking for proposals that can result in “increased access to and use of the Park Lands.”

In particular, for the short-term licensing of the facilities in Victoria Park / Pakapakanthi, the Council says:

  • Priority will be given to community sporting activities over elite sporting activities and for-profit businesses;

  • Priority will be given to junior participants aged U13;

  • Priority will be given to organisations who currently do not have a lease/licence in the Park Lands;

  • Activities are to be complimentary to the Victoria Park / Pakapakanthi (Park 16) facilities and sports field carrying capacity; and

  • Activities that target people from underrepresented groups will be prioritised.


Expressions of Interest need to be received by the City Council no later than 13 January 2025.

For more information, or to submit an Expression of Interest, see either:

OR

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