Suspicious Fire Follows Mass Protest Over $45M North Adelaide Golf Redevelopment
ADELAIDE – Tension over the redevelopment of the North Adelaide Golf Course escalated sharply this week as a mass rally at Parliament House was followed hours later by a suspicious fire that destroyed a structure on the site.
The Malinauskas government’s $45 million plan aims to upgrade the course to a “world-class” standard to host major tournaments like LIV Golf. However, the project has faced fierce backlash due to the removal of approximately 600 trees in the area known as “Possum Park.”
The “Stop the Chop” Rally
On Wednesday evening, a crowd of more than 2,000 protesters gathered at Parliament House, chanting “stop the chop” and carrying placards to voice their distress over the environmental and cultural impact of the work.
- Sonia Blackwell, Protester: “It’s sheer lunacy… We feel so helpless. It’s devastating. [The government is] putting the needs of ‘a few golfers’ ahead of the city.”
- Caitlyn Walker, Ngarrindjeri and Narungga woman: “This was a sacred place for mob… that land holds thousands of years of culture. The Labor government has failed us… They are thinking of people who have money.”
- Astrid Myers, Protester: “Raising a daughter in this world, it’s hard to have any kind of hope if this is the way government treats wildlife.”
Suspicious Fire Under Investigation
At 2:00 AM on Thursday morning, emergency services were called to War Memorial Drive where a blaze had broken out. A temporary structure used as a golf pro shop was completely gutted.
Watch on Youtube: Fire destroys pro shop at contested Live Golf site
SA Police have confirmed the fire is being treated as suspicious. While the investigation is ongoing, authorities noted there is currently no evidence suggesting protesters were responsible for the blaze.
Government Defense and Legislative Overrides
Despite a petition with over 40,000 signatures, the state government remains committed to the project. Ministers argue that the redevelopment is essential for tourism and includes environmental safeguards:
- A 3-to-1 replanting ratio has been pledged to offset the loss of 585 trees.
- Primary Industries Minister Clare Scriven stated the removal represents only about 6% of the 9,000 trees on the course.
- Environment Minister Emily Bourke noted that four fauna experts are on-site daily to ensure wildlife protection.
The project has bypassed standard planning approvals via the North Adelaide Golf Course Act, legislation passed last year that wrested control from the local council to fast-track the upgrade.
Legal Challenges and Ecological Concerns
The Adelaide City Council has now turned to the federal government for intervention. They have written to Environment Minister Murray Watt seeking an investigation into whether the project violates the national Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act.
Wildlife advocates, including Sue Westover from Bat Rescue SA, remain unconvinced by the government’s mitigation efforts. Westover emphasized that while trees can be replanted, “it’s absolutely devastating to lose our trees—but also lose part of our ecosystem,” noting that saplings will take decades to provide the same habitat value as those being removed.
