Court Allows North Adelaide Golf Upgrade to Proceed Under Strict Tree-Clearing Rules

POSTED ON June 17, 2026 @ 9:40 am

ADELAIDE – A high-stakes legal showdown over the North Adelaide Public Golf Course upgrade has ended in a compromise, allowing the controversial redevelopment to forge ahead, but with strict new conditions attached.

Following a tense Federal Court hearing, the South Australian Government has been cleared to continue construction. However, in a significant concession to environmental and Indigenous advocates, the state must now provide 48 hours’ notice before axing any tree taller than 3.5 meters.

Here is how the battle over the Park Lands site unfolded.

The Injunction Bid

The ruling follows an interim injunction bid launched by opponents desperate to halt the bulldozers. Public servant Edwin Kemp Attrill and Kaurna Elder Jeanette Milera brought the case to the Federal Court, raising a whistle on the sheer scale of the environmental clearance.

According to reports from Channel 10 News, the court action pulled back the curtain on the project’s true scope:

400 trees have already been removed from the site.
185 additional trees are earmarked for destruction.

Speaking outside of court, a defiant Attrill made it clear that the fight was about accountability.

“The Premier is not above the law. This is federal environmental law, and we need to hold him accountable to that.” – Edwin Kemp Attrill, Co-applicant

What Happens Now?

Because the Federal Court declined to grant an immediate injunction halting all operations, the government’s heavy machinery won’t be silenced. The current phase of the redevelopment will march forward, focusing heavily on ground shaping, installing irrigation networks, and preparing the soil for turf.

The State Government assured the court that no trees are scheduled for removal in the immediate future, as the upcoming schedule is strictly limited to earthworks. Pausing the project entirely would have come with a massive taxpayer burden; government lawyers argued in court that a full shutdown would drain roughly $40,000 per day.

A Vision of “World Class” Golf vs. Local Backlash

The Malinauskas Government has fiercely defended the upgrade, pitching it as a transformation that will turn the current layout into one of the premier public golf courses, all within walking distance of the Adelaide CBD.

Once complete, the course is expected to secure major global sporting events, including:

The Men’s and Women’s Australian Open
LIV Golf Adelaide

Minister for the City of Adelaide, Lucy Hood, enthusiastically welcomed the court’s green light, emphasizing the long-term economic windfall for South Australia.

“The State Government welcomes the decision of the Federal Court today, which means works at the North Adelaide Public Golf Course can continue as planned. This is an exciting project for the state, which will significantly improve the existing public golf course at North Adelaide and improve the amenity of our Park Lands.”

“It will also be capable of hosting major tournaments within walking distance of the CBD, delivering significant economic benefit to our state.” — Lucy Hood, Minister for the City of Adelaide

While the government celebrates a win for its tourism and sporting ambitions, the newly mandated 48-hour notice window ensures that local advocates will be watching the Park Lands very closely.