Nearly 600 trees will be removed to redevelop the North Adelaide Golf Course, the state government has confirmed — much lower than the 5,400 predicted by the Liberal Party four months ago.
The government on Thursday released designs for the $45 million upgrade of the public golf course in Adelaide’s north-western parklands which is set to host the LIV Golf tournament in 2028.
The redevelopment, contracted to Greg Norman Golf Course design, required the government to pass laws through state parliament and also led to Aboriginal heritage conditions being imposed.
In August, Mr Pangallo raised concerns about the number of trees that were due to be cut down. (ABC News)
In August, Liberal MLC Frank Pangallo claimed 5,400 trees could be axed for the golf course, citing advice from international golf course designer Peter Dalkeith Scott.
“5,400 trees will need to be dug up,” he said at an August 24 press conference alongside then-Liberal leader Vincent Tarzia.
“In my time I have never seen a government project, particularly a vanity project like this to build an elite golf course, rip up 5,400 trees.”
But Premier Peter Malinauskas said today that of the more than 9,000 trees on the North Adelaide Golf Course only 585 would be removed.
The SA government has released its plans for the $45 million redevelopment of North Adelaide’s public golf course. (Supplied: SA government)
“That is a long long way short of the 5,000 trees the state Liberal Party said was going to be removed,” he said.
The premier added that 1,700 replacement trees would be planted.
“This is a landmark investment to bring our parklands to life,” he said.
“I emphasise the word public because this is an investment in a public course, for people.
“The parklands that wrap around our city are an extraordinary asset, they’re unique.”
The premier said 1,700 replacement trees would be planted. (Supplied: SA government)
The premier said that the South Australian public will be able to access the North Adelaide course “at an affordable price point”, but that interstate and overseas visitors would be charged “a premium”.
Adelaide Park Lands Association president Sarah Russo welcomed the government’s commitment to maintaining public access to the course.
But she cautioned that the removal of 585 trees still “represents a substantial loss of established canopy in a city facing increasing heat, declining biodiversity, and mounting pressure on open green space”.
“Many of these trees have taken decades to mature and cannot be quickly or easily replaced,” she said.
“While the government has referenced a 3-for-1 tree replacement commitment there is currently limited clarity around when replacement planting will occur, where it will be located, what species will be used, and how the loss of mature canopy will be addressed in the interim.”
Mr Pangallo stands by tree prediction
Mr Pangallo stood by his 5,400 tree claim on Thursday, claiming the government changed course after his prediction.
“We’re going to take credit for saving thousands of trees because the government was spooked into sending its plans back to the designer,” he told the ABC.
Frank Pangallo previously claimed more than 5,000 trees would be cut down as part of government plans. (ABC News: Lincoln Rothall)
Asked if he knew that for a fact, Mr Pangallo said: “My sources told me that the government went back to the course designers asking them to minimise the tree loss as much as possible.”
“Not only did I save those trees, I saved [Treasurer] Tom Koutsantonis’s bacon,” he said.
Mr Koutsantonis said in August he would resign if Mr Pangallo’s 5,400 tree prediction was correct.
He denied that revisions took place on the basis of Mr Pangallo’s comments.
“I don’t think Greg Norman listens to Frank Pangallo,” he said.
“As I said pretty convincingly … I was extremely confident that what Mr Pangallo was saying was completely fabricated.”
LIV Golf Adelaide will be hosted at the redeveloped North Adelaide site in 2028. (Supplied: SA government)
Libs change course on stamp duty
Meanwhile, new Liberal leader Ashton Hurn announced on Thursday that the Liberal Party had changed its policy on abolishing stamp duty by 2041.
The policy was unveiled by former leader Vincent Tarzia last month.
Ashton Hurn after being appointed as new Liberal leader. (ABC News: Che Chorley)
In one of her first major policy decisions since taking the leadership last week, Ms Hurn said the party’s policy was now to abolish stamp duty for all first-home buyers purchasing a new or established home under $1 million.
“What we’re announcing today is that we are committed to some urgent relief when it comes to stamp duty in relation to first home buyers,” she said.
“We’re doing that because we want the next generation to get on the property ladder quickly.”
Ms Hurn said if elected her government would set up a tax reform commission within 60 days to investigate long-term changes to the state’s tax, levy, fee and charges system.
“The policy that we’re announcing today about having this long-term tax review — that’s looking into the long-term. That’s what our previous policy on stamp duty was about,” she said.
Asked if there were costings for the party’s previous 2041 policy, she said: “Not that I’ve seen.”
“I’ve been really clear on this previously, this was not something that I’d been involved in,” she said.
“I’m focused on the future and when it comes to our policy today I’m really excited about it.”
Mr Koutsantonis said the opposition had abandoned its signature economic policy weeks out from the election.
“They were promising this massive tax cut a week ago and now they’ve abandoned it,” he said.
“It really is shambolic.”