by Shane Sody
Labor MP for Adelaide, Lucy Hood, is attempting to deflect attention from the State Government's recent attacks on your Park Lands, by claiming State credit for actions taken before she was born.
In a leaflet distributed to voters, Ms Hood has claimed that the State and Commonwealth Government have returned 19.6 hectares of Park Lands. This figure is calculated by referring to actions taken up to 45 years ago.
The leaflet simply does not acknowledge any Park Lands losses, not even those as recently as a month ago.
The leaflet uses examples from decades ago. Some examples are heritage buildings, not Open, Green, Public spaces. The leaflet does not acknowledge any of the State Government’s recent Park Lands confiscations.
The State Government's recent Park Lands attacks have destroyed hundreds of trees, many of them more than a century old. Your Park Lands have lost native bird and possum habitat.
These losses were unnecessary. They happened simply because the State Government chose not to look for building sites in any other part of the Adelaide metro area.
Just since March 2022, your Park Lands have suffered from repeated attacks to build (or start construction of) new roads, a new multi-storey high school, a new commercial aquatic centre, a new eight-storey car park, and a new hospital.
Facing outrage from thousands of Park Lands supporters, Ms Hood has responded with a leaflet that omits all of the recent attacks and tries to take credit for Park restorations as far back as 1979, even including old City Council initiatives.
The leaflet claims that the Government is delivering “to protect and enhance tree canopy” but these recent Government actions speak louder than words.
There was NO protection for hundreds of trees, most of them more than a century old, that were destroyed recently in Park 2 and in Park 27.
The leaflet claims an increase in “accessible” Park Lands.
Saying that “we are creating” the leaflet implies that constructing a $3 billion hospital on Park 27 will make more Park Lands appear, as if by magic.
“Creating” Park Lands where none exists? It’s embarrassing.
The weasel word in this context is “accessible”. Obviously, it’s not possible to make Park Lands “accessible” by putting a $3 billion building on them. Of course, building over Park Lands has the opposite effect.
Yes, there are parts of your Park Lands, near the Old Adelaide Gaol, that have been mismanaged, for years, to keep you out, using fences and locked gates. The State Government has for years, chosen to make these parts inaccessible to you.
Now it wants credit for promising to remove the obstacles that it put in your way. That is quite a separate matter from its decision to build a new hospital on your Park Lands.
This is Kate Cocks Park. It was destroyed by State Government contractors in May 2024 to make way for what is intended to be a new eight-storey car park.
Deputy Lord Mayor Cr Keiran Snape says he's "absolutely baffled" that someone in Lucy Hood's office approved this leaflet.
"It's downright embarrassing."
Deputy Lord Mayor, Cr Keiran Snape (left) and SA Labor Member for Adelaide, Lucy Hood.
"This Labor Government has been one of the most destructive to the Park Lands in living memory, yet they have the gall to claim the opposite. This is Olympic-level gymnastics."
Finally, the leaflet’s claims about support for World Heritage listing are hollow. There is no evidence of State Government support for World Heritage listing of your Park Lands, beyond merely sending two letters. No State funding has been allocated to support a World Heritage bid.
Meanwhile the State Government is refusing to act on a 2018 recommendation from the State Heritage Council to approve State Heritage listing for your Park Lands.
If the State Government will not approve even State Heritage listing, then the promise to pursue UNESCO World Heritage listing has to be, at best, very doubtful.
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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Shane Sody
