by Shane Sody

What is “Ghosting”? One definition is: “The shutdown or ceasing of communication with someone without notice.”

If you Love Your Park Lands, then it appears that SA Government Ministers are ghosting you. The evidence is clear: Ministers are continuing to ignore, or failing to acknowledge the growing body of support for your Adelaide Park Lands.

In September 2023, we met with the Premier, Peter Malinauskas, to make specific requests and suggestions for how his Government might repair relations with Park Lands supporters, and support your Park Lands.

The Premier referred some of these questions to the Planning Minister, Nick Champion, who has responsibility for the ineffective Adelaide Park Lands Act 2005.

It took almost seven months, until 17 April 2024, before we could get a subsequent meeting with Minister Champion to request the sane actions.

We donated a Park Lands poster to the Minister’s office and later put our requests in writing.

FIRST: A full review of the Adelaide Park Lands Act 2005, which has proved totally ineffective at protecting your Park Lands;

SECOND; a feasibility study into the proposed Adelaide Recreation Circuit, a proposed unbroken cycling/running/walking loop, around the entire Park Lands;

THIRD: the State Government’s unfulfilled 2022 election promise to “restore full protection” to Helen Mayo Park in your Park Lands.

Despite a routine administrative acknowledgement of our correspondence on 4 June 2024, and despite four follow-up phone calls, at the time of writing Minister Champion still had not replied.

These delays of many months in responding to APA have been minor, compared to the staggering procrastination that has affected efforts to get your Park Lands accepted for State Heritage listing.

It has been more than 15 years since they were nominated, and more than six years since the State Heritage Council made a formal recommendation that State Heritage listing should be actioned.

On 4 August 2024, APA supporter Tim Jackson asked a series of questions about this to the Environment Minister and Deputy Premier, Susan Close. He asked:

1. What is the current status of the State Heritage Council’s recommendation to place the Adelaide Park Lands on the the State Heritage Register?

2. Does your Government support this protection for the Adelaide Park Lands?

3. If yes, what is the timetable for the introduction of this protection?

4. If no, what is your Government’s rationale for this position and what protection will your Government afford the Adelaide Park Lands?

Tim keeps following up with the Minister’s office, repeatedly asking why he has received no reply. On 7 January, he noted: “149 days without a reply!”

The State Government’s apparent “ghosting” of Park Lands supporters represents a stunning failure to “read the room”.

In 2023, more than eight thousand Park Lands supporters signed a petition to urge protection for the trees in Denise Norton Park / Pardipardinyilla (Park 2). Your signatures were ignored, or ghosted by the Government.

APA’s following on social media has been climbing steadily, in recent months. Our following on Facebook (more than 7,000 and growing) is evidence that your Park Lands have more support than ever,

But members of State Cabinet, apparently still seem to believe that Park Lands supporters can be ignored, and your Park Lands can go on being plundered, breaking several promises that helped to get them elected in March 2022.

Promises broken; protection postponed

Apart from four broken promises associated with the new Aquatic Centre, and lack of action on State Heritage listing the State Government has also failed to fulfill pre-election promises to:

• "fully protect" Helen Mayo Park; or

• investigate the proposed ‘Adelaide Recreation Circuit’.

Despite professing support for it, the Government has also failed to commit any resources to progress a World Heritage bid.

Will you help us expose and stop the ghosting? 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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