Enlarged tennis stadium

A very large area of Tarntanya Wama (Park 26) is off limits to the public (and has been that way for decades). See the aerial pic below.

Adelaide Oval, Tennis SA, Memorial Drive Tennis Club, the Next Generation Fitness Centre and even a hairdressing salon have all taken over parts of this park, with leases in some instances as long as 50 years.

For those who dream of one day reclaiming any part of this land for the public, the signs are not looking good.   In 2017, Tennis SA secured a $10 million Federal grant to upgrade existing courts, install new fencing and lighting, and construct a new 'Pavilion' in this area. The “pavilion” was constructed in late 2018.

And in November 2020, the South Australian State Budget allocated another $44 million of YOUR money to build newer and bigger grandstands for paying customers.

Under the lease re-negotiated in 2016 with the Adelaide City Council Tennis SA pays just $304 per week (indexed) for 3,500 square metres of Park Land.  To put that into perspective, you'd pay a similar amount for a tiny 60 to 70 square-metre two-bedroom apartment in a suburb like Prospect or Sefton Park. 

THE DEATH OF 1,000 CUTS

Repeated Park Lands losses were once characterised as like "mice nibbling away at cheese".   However recent attacks seem more like a debaucherous feast with participants devouring whatever is available, while it lasts.

The rate of Park Lands loss seems set to ratchet up exponentially unless the public can be alerted to save what's really precious and priceless.

There are many other sites within Adelaide Park Lands that are under imminent threat, or current attack.

If you think Adelaide can do better than this, then TAKE ACTION!