The South Australian Government has faced conflicting claims over the number of trees that could be removed as part of the redevelopment of North Adelaide Golf Course, with the issue emerging during a Federal Court challenge to the project.
According to the ABC, government lawyers told the court the final number of trees to be removed has not yet been determined, despite premier Peter Malinauskas publicly maintaining that the figure of 585 trees has been known since before the state election in March.
RELATED: First look – SA Premier reveals Greg Norman’s $45 million makeover for North Adelaide
The government says up to 585 trees could ultimately be removed. However, Crown lawyer Alison Doecke KC told the court the redevelopment remained an “evolving process” and the plans had not been finalised.
The ABC reported that Doecke said it was “not possible” to provide the court with even the species of all the trees that would be removed.
The dispute is central to a legal challenge brought by two private citizens, who argue the redevelopment breaches laws protecting Adelaide’s national heritage-listed parklands.
Both sides accept that about 400 trees have already been removed from the golf course. The appellants argue the government intends to reach a total of 585.
Malinauskas again cited the 585 figure while defending the redevelopment, saying the government had publicly outlined its plans before the election.
The project was originally promoted in part as a way of attracting LIV Golf to Adelaide. However, uncertainty over the future of the Saudi-backed league has raised questions about the tournament’s role in the course’s redevelopment.
RELATED: North Adelaide Golf Course redevelopment proceeding regardless of LIV Golf’s future
The premier has acknowledged there is no guarantee LIV Golf will return to Adelaide next year.
“We are alive to that risk. It would be naive to suggest otherwise,” Malinauskas said, while indicating he had received positive indications that the tournament intended to return.
He also argued the upgraded course would have value beyond LIV Golf, pointing to the scheduled staging of upcoming Australian Opens.
The government hopes North Adelaide could stage the Australian Women’s Open in early 2028, describing it as a potential showcase for the redeveloped facility.
LIV Golf’s involvement has also come under scrutiny in the Federal Court. Justice Natalie Charlesworth questioned whether the tournament’s role raised concerns about commercial use of public parklands.
Doecke maintained the golf course would remain publicly owned and accessible, with membership not required to use it. She said the design would simply allow the venue to accommodate a major tournament.
The government’s legal argument also challenges the appellants’ focus on individual trees and parts of the parklands. Doecke told the court heritage considerations should be assessed across the parklands as a whole. She pointed to historical aerial photographs showing how the area had changed dramatically over the decades, from being “practically barren” to featuring treelined golf-course fairways.
“Natural places exist, evolve and contain living organisms. Trees grow,” she told the court, arguing that the parklands had continually changed over time.
Outside the courtroom, opposition to the redevelopment has continued. Protesters recently marched to South Australia’s Parliament House, presenting a petition containing more than 43,000 signatures.
Adelaide City Councillor Kieran Snape urged the premier to reconsider the project, arguing major golf events could be hosted without sacrificing the city’s established green spaces.
The trial is expected to conclude tomorrow.
