We, the Australian Garden History Society, believe the South Australian Government’s intention to locate a new SAPOL Mounted Police Operations Unit at Mirnu Wirra in the south Parklands is an act of vandalism. This decision compounds the disruption brought about by siting the new Women’s and Children’s Hospital in the location of the current SAPOL facilities.
The Parklands are on the National Heritage Register List (Commonwealth of Australia Gazette No. S238, 7 Nov 2008) and regarded as a cultural landscape of the highest significance. Their value both as natural open space for recreation and as a unique environmental zone is a defining element in the City of Adelaide’s historic and cultural character.
Every encroachment reduces the scale and natural environment contained in the Parklands by diluting and destroying what distinguishes Adelaide as a city. It will be resisted vehemently by the Australia Garden History Society and many other community groups.
We urge the Premier and his Health Minister, Chris Picton, to select one of the other sites listed for consideration outside the Parklands.
Richard Heathcote
SA Branch Chair
Australian Garden History Society
If you are a resident of South Australia please consider adding your voice to the opposition to this proposal by signing this petition.
Photo Michael Coghlan, 2014, Creative Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)