Adelaide City Council demands consultation on Oval hotel despite having ‘no power’ to influence proposal

Adelaide City Council is demanding it be consulted by the State Government on the proposal by Adelaide Oval to build a boutique hotel just outside its Eastern Stand, even though it has admitted it “has no power” to influence it in any way.

Adelaide City Council is demanding it be consulted by the State Government on the proposal by Adelaide Oval to build a boutique hotel just outside its Eastern Stand, even though it has admitted it “has no power” to influence it in any way.

At the first meeting of the new council on Tuesday night, Adelaide chief executive Mark Goldstone disclosed legal advice sought by the council in the wake of the announcement by the Stadium Management Authority and State Government of the private hotel.

Adelaide Lord Mayor Sandy Verschoor told The Advertiser she had asked Mr Goldstone to seek the advice so “council may consider its response in a mature and responsible way”.

“And as soon as possible we will also seek views of APLA (the Adelaide Park Lands Authority) and we will discuss this matter with council when we receive the formal consultation request from the SMA (Adelaide Oval Stadium Management Authority),” she said.

The proposed Adelaide Oval Hotel was revealed on Sunday.

At the meeting, responding to a question without notice by Cr Phil Martin about the council’s rights in the process, Mr Goldstone said the lease terms of the Oval said “that the (relevant) Minister must consult with the council” before undertaking any development or any works in the core area of the Oval that would constitute a major redevelopment of the area or would “substantially impact the built form of the core area and its use”.

“Based upon this provision it is considered necessary for some consultation between council and Minister as it would be difficult to argue that such a development would not constitute a major redevelopment or a major change of the built form,” Mr Goldstone said.

“However … in essence council has no power to authorise or disallow it.”

Cr Martin said it “appears to me that council has been outmanoeuvred by a Government that acquiesced to the wishes of the Stadium Management Authority”.

Meanwhile, the Opposition moved in State Parliament yesterday to establish a parliamentary committee to inquire into the “Government’s decision to hand over $42 million to build a private hotel at Adelaide Oval”. Opponents also have been buoyed by the Upper House inquiry, should it get up this week.

The select committee, proposed to the Legislative Council, would investigate the proposed hotel development, the process the Government undertook in considering and approving financing for it, and the project’s impact on Adelaide’s hotel industry.