Adelaide City Council to vote on opposing Oval Hotel, but Stadium Management Authority says it won’t make a difference

A potential decision by the Adelaide City Council to withhold landlord consent for the planned hotel at Adelaide Oval won’t make a difference to the status of the project, the Stadium Management Authority says.

• Adelaide Oval Hotel announced
• Lord Mayor prepared to lead opposition to it

A potential decision by the Adelaide City Council to withhold landlord consent for the planned hotel at Adelaide Oval won’t make a difference to the status of the project, the State Government says.

On Monday night the council will vote on a proposal by outspoken councillor Anne Moran for the council to take a hard line stand on the plans for a boutique 128-room hotel outside the Eastern Gate of the Oval, which is backed by a $42 million loan from the State Government.

The Advertiser understands the proposal by Cr Moran has split the elected members but she is a strong chance of getting the numbers on the floor.

This is despite there being moves to try to find a weak spot in the motion.

The Advertiser has been told the council also has sought legal advice regarding Cr Moran’s proposal.

Adelaide Oval will become the first stadium in Australia to feature an integrated hotel under plans revealed today by the Stadium Management Authority.

Cr Moran said she would be happy to amend her proposal so long as it showed the council was taking a stand.

“As long as it means the council flags its opposition to it,” Cr Moran said.

“I’m more than happy to instead move that the council supports the comments the Lord Mayor (Sandy Verschoor) has made about it to the media.

“The main message I want to get through is that we don’t like it.”

Ms Verschoor has said she was prepared to defend the parklands from “commercial development” if legal advice permitted the council to oppose it. Yesterday, she said she was still waiting on the final legal advice.

But the State Government reiterated that the hotel was in the core area of the Oval under legislation that allowed its $535 million redevelopment.

An artist’s impression of the Adelaide Oval Hotel. The Adelaide City Council will vote on taking a hard line stance against the development.

“This is a complying development that will ensure Adelaide Oval remains a world class stadium and will help grow South Australia’s visitor economy and support local jobs,” a government spokesman said.

A Stadium Management Authority spokeswoman said the hotel only had to get consent of the State Government.

“That notwithstanding, we recognise the role council has to play which is why last week we offered them the opportunity of another briefing to ensure they have a full and proper understanding of the project,” she said.

“Council is yet to take this offer up and we feel it would be disappointing if they discussed this matter tomorrow without taking this offer up first.”

The Adelaide Park Lands Preservation Association has called on its members to attend tonight’s meeting to let the council know “they will have the community behind them”.