e-Gazette No.72 - 15 March, 2021 If this email is not displaying properly (e.g. if it's truncated or there are no pictures) then click here to view this email in your web browser |
BIG MONEY AND OLD MEDIA NO MATCH FOR PEOPLE POWER |
1. COUNCIL's ABOUT-FACE A WIN-WIN-WIN-WIN |
Two recent City Council decisions have been described as the "best possible outcome for the Adelaide Football Club, the Adelaide Park Lands, the public, and for the Council itself." |
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The City Council decided: - on 2 March to rule out a commercial football headquarters on Park Lands; and
- on 9 March to remove the Park Lands from the Council's so-called "Unsolicited Bids" process.
APPA President Shane Sody has described these two decisions as a "win-win-win-win". "As a Crows fan, the last thing I wanted to see in 2021 was a prolonged and bitter public wrangle between my footy club and the thousands of South Australlians who value and want to protect the Park Lands." Mr Sody said. "After a disastrous 2020 season, the Crows must focus in 2021 on regaining their form on the field, and restoring their recently-diminished reputation off the field. The AFC would have made a disastrous start to the year if they had been encouraged to try again for a Park Lands corporate headquarters." "Likewise, City Councillors will appreciate that they no longer face the prospect of a divisive reaction to something like the Council's previous "Project Blue" in 2019 which tried to clear the way for having a Crows headquarters installed on Denise Norton Park /Pardipardinyilla (Park 2). "The unanimous Council vote on 2 March gives the Adelaide Football club clear air to now pursue a range of alternative relocation sites where they would be welcomed," Mr Sody said. |
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It's been two years since the AFC's ambitions for a Park Lands HQ became public, although secret meetings, corporate hospitality and lobbying had been under way long before 2019. The possibility of another Crows push for a Park Lands headquarters re-emerged only last month. The Advertiser reported on 18 February 2021 ($$ subscriber-only link) that Crows chairman John Olsen had made a secret approach to the City Council to explore the possibility of taking over this site (below) in Bullrush Park / Warnpangga (Park 10). This is the Council's Green Waste Recycling Centre and plant nursery. |
The mere possibility of such a location was immediately promoted by an editorial in The Advertiser that claimed such construction on Park Lands "would benefit the club, the city and the wider community" and "appears to make good sense." This was promptly followed by three 'Tiser opinion-writers, singing from the same song sheet: |
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Former Lord Mayor Jane Lomax-Smith was the only one offered a chance to rebut these three amigos in The Advertiser. The reaction in the community was swift and entirely different. Facing a wave of critical reaction, the majority, so-called “Team Adelaide” faction on the City Council - led by Cr Alex Hyde - moved to quash the speculation. All members of the faction reversed their previous willingness to consider a Crows Park Lands takeover. The Council resolved unanimously on 2 March 2021 that there would be NO support for an Adelaide Football Club administrative or commercial building on any part of the Adelaide Park Lands. This has left the Crows looking at the likelihood of either a site at Thebarton, and/or another, undisclosed site “not on Park Lands”. |
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| A week later, on 9 March, the Council also adopted a resolution from Cr Robert Simms (pictured) that any future commercial bids for Park Lands would be subject to full public disclosure, not hidden by confidentiality in the Council's "Unsolicited bids" process. |
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APPA wishes the Adelaide Football Club every success in pursuing alternative relocation sites. Unlike a football game with a winner and loser, this is a win for nearly all involved. If there is any loser, it would have to be the "old media" whose uncritical voices yet again endorsed a proposed encroachment onto the world-unique treasure on their own doorstep. Read more here: www.adelaide-parklands.asn.au/crows |
2. RAINBOW CIRCUIT PROPOSAL IN STATE BUDGET? |
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| State Treasurer Rob Lucas (pictutred) has been urged to include a feasibility study in this year’s State Budget for an infrastructure project aiming to highlight Adelaide’s unique Park Lands. |
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The Adelaide Rainbow Circuit (ARC) is a proposed global tourist icon for South Australia. It is envisaged as a 12 kilometre illuminated, all-weather walk, run, and bike circuit, featuring an Aboriginal Dreamtime theme. Critically, the proposed pathway would use bridges and under-paths to link all parts of the Park Lands along one continuous uninterrupted loop of the City. |
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Securing funding for the feasibility study hit a snag last year with the impact of Covid-19 on the Adelaide City Council, the original $120k funding request proving too steep in last year's economic climate. Mr Redman has worked with partners in a bid to reduce the cost of the proposed feasibility study, to below $70k. He's now submitted his request to Treasurer Rob Lucas, along with a long list of supportive organisations and stakeholders (including APPA) and requested a meeting to ensure the Treasurer is well briefed on all aspects of the proposal. The overwhelming support the ARC has garnered demonstrates community confidence in this project’s potential to generate significant benefits to physical and psychological public health, stimulate intra-state, national and international tourism and fuel SA’s economy by way of supporting SA businesses and employment. |
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3. COUNTDOWN TO FRIDAY's ART PRIZE WINNERS |
Excitement is building for the official (and long-delayed) opening of the Adelaide Park Lands Art Prize exhibition at the Festival Centre.
Almost exactly 12 months after its original scheduled opening, there will be two events at the Festival Centre this coming week.
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On Friday evening (19th March) we will find out who gets the $20,000 first prize, as well as another $17,500 in commendation prizes. |
The evening will be presided over by Douglas Gautier AM – CEO and Artistic Director of the Adelaide Festival Centre (left). Prizes will be presented by the Lord Mayor, Sandy Verschoor (right). After Friday night (which is by invitation only) the exhibition will then be open to the public, from the following day, Saturday 20 March 11am to 4pm, and then weekdays 9am to 5pm as well as on the evenings of Festival Theatre performance dates, until 8 May. |
Last month, the Lord Mayor held a reception at the Town Hall for Art Prize finalists. Pictured at the Town Hall on 25 February: (from left) artists Laima Guscia and Marian Sandberg, and (right) Dana Wortley MP, representing Opposition Leader Peter Malinauskas. |
The Art Prize received full-page coverage in the Advertiser's weekend magazine on Saturday 13 March. (above) See more about the Art Prize at www.parklandsart.com. |
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4. JOIN THE TEAM - STEP UP AND BE A MEMBER |
You are receiving this newsletter email because you are a subscriber. However, you can be much more than just a passive subscriber. If you step up, to become a Member (not just a subscriber) then your financial support can help us to “Explore”, “Inspire”, “Protect”, and “Restore”. |
Yes, we want you to become a member. You might have been a member in the past. Perhaps your membership has lapsed and you missed our invoice or reminder. Perhaps you didn't know that as an incorporated association, we have members who elect a Committee, to guide what we do.. If you love the Adelaide Park Lands, then being a financially paid-up member is "putting your money where your mouth is". As a financial member of APPA, you get: It's easy to join the team. As little as $15.00 per year will help others to Explore”, “Inspire”, “Protect”, and “Restore”.. DO IT HERE. DO IT NOW! www.adelaide-parklands.asn.au/membership |
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5. NEXT STEPS FOR VICTORIA PARK - PROTECT AND RESTORE to "OPEN, GREEN, PUBLIC" |
Paul Henderson & Doug McEvoy |
A group of concerned citizens got together last year to campaign for the removal of the Adelaide 500 motor race from Victoria Park /Pakapakanthi (Park 16). Of particular concern to the group was the impact that the race had on the amenity of Victoria Park: locking up, as it did, approximately 30 hectares of the park for 5 months each year. Within a few weeks of convening, the group was delighted to hear the Premier, Steven Marshall announce that the SA Tourism Commission had withdrawn its support and the race would no longer be held. However, just a week later, Opposition leader Peter Malinauskas pledged he would revive the race if Labor was returned to office at the next State election. There is a petition urging him to re-think. |
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The residents group "Restore Victoria Park" now has two main objectives: - Have Labor rethink its outrageously outmoded idea to revive the Adelaide 500 V8 car race, and
- Pressure the Government and Adelaide City Council to make good the northern end of Victoria Park. The remaining Adelaide 500 race infrastructure detracts from what should be an "Open, Green, Public" space.
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6. PLEASED TO MEET YOU - LEAH and KRIS |
Hills dwellers, Leah Kennewell and Kris Carter love reaching the green belt of Park Lands around the city each Saturday morning on their way to their weekly visit to the Adelaide Central Market.
“The Park Lands are the lungs of the city and always remind us how well Adelaide was designed - with care, thought and consideration”, Leah said.
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The couple love the opportunity the Park Lands provide for a green natural space for people to congregate and enjoy public and arts events.
“It’s great that this fantastic place is here and it’s available to everybody,” Kris said. “The Park Lands provide relaxed open spaces and you feel really free in this sort of environment.”
Leah said it was wonderful to see kids’ excitement and enthusiasm as they discovered and explored the big trees. “You see the kids scrabbling amongst the roots of the Moreton Bay Fig trees and even the flying foxes add to the atmosphere and vibe.”
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In their overseas travels, Kris and Leah have noticed the contrast where people may have no alternative area to congregate than a shopping mall.
“There’s something cold and heartless about that,” they said. “In Adelaide, we can meet, congregate and play in the Park Lands for whatever purpose and that’s a wonderful thing.”
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7. HAVE YOUR SAY ON THIS PROPOSED BUILDING |
The City Council is seeking feedback on a proposed new $2.3 million building in Bundey's Paddock / Tidlangga (Park 9)
The building is to be funded by the Prince Alfred College Old Collegians and would replace two smaller sheds in the same Park.
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Compared to other recent sports buidings that have been erected on various Park Lands sites, this one is relatively modest in scale - just a single storey, athough it would contain a bar area so that patrons can drink inside while watching sport. |
You can find out more in a "community session" with a City Council representative on the site, this Thursday, 18 March, between 5pm and 7pm. You can have your say on this proposal by completing a form on the City Council's website, no later than 6 April. https://yoursay.cityofadelaide.com.au/park-9 |
We will be hosting our Guided Walk through this Park on Sunday 11 April. See the "What's On" segment below. |
Sunday the 7th of March was heavily ringed on APPA's calendar with two events scheduled for the same day – a guided walk through Park 17 in the morning and a Clean Up Australia event in Park 23 in the afternoon. In the morning, APPA President Shane Sody welcomed a group of more than a dozen walkers, who explored the abundant attractions of the historic Carriageway Park / Tuthangga (Park 17). The tour began at the Bushcare site where remnant native grasslands are being protected and restored, then looped past an 1879 reservoir tank, two croquet clubs and the South Park Lands Creek which has been widened snd revegetated over the past two years. But the jewel of the tour was learning the story behind this glorious "carriageway" of English Elms that curves, almost forgotten, through the heart of the park. Read about it here. |
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That same afternoon, an enthusiastic band of nearly twenty APPA volunteers scoured the southern section of G.S. Kingston Park / Wirrarninthi (Park 23) in the south-west Park Lands for Clean Up Australia Day. |
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| Equipped with gloves, garbage bags and indomitable spirits, the APPA clean-up crew joined over 35,000 other "Clean Up" volunteers across South Australia. |
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Organised by Park 23’s passionate ambassadors, Ted and Nate Jennings, this area surrounding the old bitumen netball courts between Anzac Highway, West Terrace Cemetery and the Keswick Railyard is a seldom explored area of the Park Lands. This neglected pocket is the focus of APPA’s plans to re-green sections of the Park Lands. The Clean Up event on 7 March marked the first step in preparing the site for restoration. |
After an hour and a half combing the bushland for litter, the group reconvened – sweaty and virtuous – each one with an impressive haul of waste and items ready to be recycled, reused or repurposed. |
Many thanks to the hardy band of volunteers who proved their dedication to our park lands by getting their hands dirty for this worthy cause. Find out about our project to restore the former bitumen netball courts in Park 23.
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9. LOOK BUT DON'T TOUCH - WARNING ON FLYING FOXES |
SA Health has issued a reminder to people attending events in the Park Lands about avoiding contact with any of the area’s 25,000 grey-headed flying foxes – a.k.a “fruit bats”. SA Health’s Michaela Hobby advises that said “bats can carry a range of serious diseases, including lyssavirus (like rabies) that can be transmitted to humans if you are bitten or even scratched by an infected bat. Last year there were nine bat exposures in SA that required precautionary treatment.” |
The risk is relatively low. Less than one per cent of bats carry the virus and no cases of the disease have ever been recorded in SA. Only three fatal cases of the lyssavirus have been documented in Australia since 1996. |
One of the delights of twilight in the Park Lands is watching the grey-headed flying-foxes taking flight across the city. The colony migrated here from the eastern states in 2010 and has since multiplied despite occasional episodes of mass deaths during Adelaide heat waves. |
Grey-headed flying-foxes play an ecologically important role in assisting plants spread pollen and seeds. As a result, they are protected in Australia and listed as a nationally-threatened species. If you see a large or small flying fox on the ground – living or dead – don’t touch it. Instead, contact: - The City of Adelaide Park Lands Ranger on 0407 394 662 or
- City of Adelaide Customer Centre on 8203 7203 or
- Fauna Rescue 8486 1139 or
- Bat Rescue SA 0475 132 093
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10. THE WAY AHEAD FOR APPA - WHAT YOU TOLD US |
It has been fascinating to analyse the results of our survey, last month, about how you use the Park Lands, and what you would like us to concentrate on. You've told us that the most popular things you like to do in the Park Lands are walking, relaxation, visiting formal gardens and attending events such as concerts and festivals. |
Most respondents ranked "protection" activities as APPA's most important role. However, there was also broad support among survey respondents for each of our three other streams of activities: "exploring" "sharing" and "restoring". |
These survey responses will help us shape APPA's future direction. Subject to decisions by our members at our annual general meeting next month, our public face may undergo some tweaking. |
11. WHAT'S ON IN THE PARK LANDS |
There are always events scheduled in the Park Lands, many of them free, and there are always opportunities to explore the Park Lands on your own, or with friends or family. Browse our Explore pages for hints about interesting spots to visit, and using our Trail Guides.. Here are just some of the opportunities in coming weeks. Click on any of the pics for more information about each event. |
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| Until 21 March in Rundle Park / Kadlitpina (Park 13) |
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| Sun 21 March - 09:30 -11:30 am |
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| Celebrating all things Indonesian. Sunday 28 March, 10am - 3pm Pinky Flat (Park 26) |
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| Sun 11 April 9.30 - 11.00am |
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12. BRIEFLY, IN OTHER PARK LANDS NEWS |
City Council reaches out to neighbours about Aquatic Centre During the 2019-20 campaign to prevent an Adelaide Football Club takeover of Denise Norton Park / Pardipardinyilla (Park 2) we repeatedly urged the City Council to reach out to neighbouring local governments to plan for a new regional aquatic centre. We campaigned on your behalf for an "Open, Green, Public" Park 2 without any corporate head office in the Park Two years later, those talks have finally commenced. The Lord Mayor Sandy Verschoor has reached out to her counterpart Mayors in the Cities of Prospect, Charles Sturt, and Port Adelaide Enfield. |
Subscriber-only link to story in 'Adelade Now' |
State Heritage - progress stalled, again Progress towards State Heritage listing of the Park Lands has become stuck, yet again, in bureaucratic delay. The State Heritage Council recommended State Heritage listing for the Park Lands on 6 December 2018, Since then, the State Government has delayed action pending the introduction of the new Planning and Design Code which comes into operation on Friday 19 March 2021. It is unclear how a State Heritage Area will be managed under the new Code, so the Heritage Branch within the Department of the Environment is developing a new "Heritage Standard" for the purpose. |
This saga has been going on since 2009. Read the story here: www.adelaide-parklands.asn.au/heritage |
RAA promoting Park Lands gardens |
Thanks to the RAA for producing a new video, which highlights four of the most popular gardens within the Adelaide Park Lands. |
A link to the video was circulated earlier this month in the RAA's magazine to members. |
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Skate Park construction full steam ahead Work is progressing quickly on the new skate park in Gladys Elphick Park /Narnungga (Park 25) off West Terrace opposite the end of Hindley Street. |
On the other side of town, work is stalled on the new wetlands at the southern end of Victoria Park / Pakapakanti (Park 16), It's expected that significant landscaping will commence shortly. |
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| 13. PHOTO OF THE DAY - RECENT HIGHLIGHTS |
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From the top: - Walking through Grundy Gardens in Red Gum Park / Karrawirra (Park 12)
- On the environmental trail in G.S. Kingston Park / Wirrarninthi (Park 23). Pic: Rachael Mead
- School sport in King Rodney Park / Ityamai-itpina (Park 15)
- Eucalyptus blossom in Yam Daisy Park / Kantarilla (Park 3)
- St Peters Cathedral opposite Pennington Gardens West in Tarntanya Wama (Park 26). Pic: Tony Sinclair @tony_of_adelaide
- Walking past blue gums next to War Memorial Drive in Possum Park / Pirltawardli (Park 1)
The Park Lands #picoftehday series has been running since May 2014, and the collection of Park Lands photos (and videos) gathered over more than six years now numbers over 2,400. We maintain (and gradually grow) more than 40 separate albums: one for each numbered Park and Square, along with several albums for "Alienations". Contributions are very welcome! Simply post your pic on social media with the tag #adelaideparklands. To find out more about any of these featured Parks, click the link to the Park number. To see the #AdelaideParklands #picoftheday as it's released each morning, just follow us on Facebook, Instagram &/or Twitter. |
Despite being a National Heritage-listed place, the Adelaide Park Lands are not well protected by Federal environmental laws.
That's why we've joined the Places You Love Alliance, to campaign along with 56 other organisations for better environmental protection laws. |
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NEWSLETTER TEAM
Editor: Shane Sody
Contributors: Rachael Mead, Loine Sweeney, Ted Jennings, Paul Henderson, Doug McEvoy
Proofreader: Trish Russell
Send content enquiries/submissions to secretary@adelaide-parklands.asn.au
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Here at APPA, we hate marketing (spam) emails. That's why we deliver news about the Park Lands, in this email format, only once per month. If you're after more regular information, please follow us on Facebook or Instagram &/or Twitter where we are posting every day. Unlike marketing emails, we're not trying to sell you anything, so we hope you'll forgive this intrusion to your InBox. Nevertheless, if you'd rather not hear from us in future, you can unsubscribe here. |
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