by Shane Sody

Premier Peter Malinauskas has made no secret of his desire to turn slices of your Park Lands into State Government profit centres.

The new $135 million Aquatic Centre being built at Denise Norton Park/ Pardipardinyilla (Park 2 of your Adelaide Park Lands) is set to contain retail shops and professional consulting rooms, to generate commercial rent for its eventual Park Lands lessees.

Likewise, the Premier last week promised that a re-developed golf course, costing tens of millions of taxpayer dollars, would nevertheless provide a “return on investment” for the State Government after its construction. He’s been coy about how that return would be generated, but you don’t have to be Einstein to work it out.

The ethos of “Park Lands for profit” is not new. There are numerous sporting and recreational clubs, with buildings on your Park Lands who for many years have proudly advertised that their rooms are available for hire as function centres.

Temporary events, such as the Fringe Festival feature huge advertisements on their temporary fencing.

However in what appears to be a first for your Park Lands, newly-erected permanent fencing on Ellis Park / Tampawardli is now set to generate revenue for the Adelaide Comets soccer club.

This was not mentioned a year ago, when two State Government ministers personally lobbied the City Council to get new permanent fencing installed on your Ellis Park / Tampawardli (Park 24)

How long will it be before other sports club Park Lands lessees try the same thing?

Related stories:

• Fences discourage access (7 February 2024)

• What’s up with a soccer fence? (16 February 2024)

• How to take over a Park (28 February 2024)

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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