Residents group’s video to stop Crows HQ at Aquatic Centre
A community group and ex-Olympian have joined forces to oppose controversial plans for the Crows’ new $60m headquarters at the Aquatic Centre site, saying the “parklands belong to the people of Adelaide”.
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A community group and former Olympian have come together to release a video about secrecy surrounding the proposed Adelaide Football Club headquarters at the Aquatic Centre site.
Adelaide Park Lands Preservation Association published the five-minute video, which features South Australia’s first female Olympian swimmer, Denise Norton.
Ms Norton opposed the $60 million training and administration complex, vowing to “stand in front of bulldozers” before letting the AFL side take over the site, which is in a park named after her.
“They are just buying the parklands, and the parklands are not for sale and belong to the people of Adelaide,” Ms Norton said in the video.
“I am 86 now … and I will lead this rebellion.
“I want to do something before I die.”
The group said the video, called #standwithdenise, “debunks Adelaide City Council’s five excuses for (a) secret deal on Aquatic Centre”.
In June, Adelaide City Council gave the Crows permission to start developing formal plans for its headquarters at the Aquatic Centre site.
Plans for the training and administration complex have not yet been made public, with the council viewing the concept behind closed doors.
The group said the video addressed five “excuses” the council has made in regards to the proposal, including it would be too expensive to upgrade the current centre, it costs too much to operate and it has given the Crows guidelines to plan around.
Adelaide Park Lands Preservation Association president Shane Sody said the “debunked” excuses should lead to a rethink at the Town Hall.
“Many thousands of people have seen the video, hundreds have shared it, so it is making an impact,” Mr Sody said.
“We don’t need commercial buildings in the parklands.”
Lord Mayor Sandy Verschoor said the council had seen high-level concept plans, but there was nothing to show the public yet.
“As a formal proposal comes to the council, we will get that out to consultation and address all of those concerns and more,” Ms Verschoor said.
“We want to hear from the broad community about what they want and need.”
A Crows spokesman declined to answer questions about the video, but said the club was “continuing to work through (its) master planning process and (was) making good progress”.