Adelaide City Council votes against any buildings in new Riverbank Precinct entertainment subzone, including $662m arena

Steven Marshall’s biggest election promise – a $662m entertainment arena – has got the thumbs down from the city’s councillors.

Adelaide City Council has voted to oppose the $662m entertainment arena promised by Premier Steven Marshall.

Lord Mayor Sandy Verschoor used her casting vote on Tuesday night to ensure the council registered its objection against the Parklands being used for commercial buildings.

Ms Verschoor joined councillors Philip Martin, Anne Moran, Greg Mackie, Keiran Snape and Helen Donovan in amending a motion to state the council’s firm opposition for Helen Mayo Park being used for the arena and buildings up to 20 levels high.

The move was prompted by Cr Martin, who told a special meeting the council had to make a public stand against the arena in its formal submission against proposed zoning changes within the Riverbank Precinct.

The proposed Riverbank Arena in Helen Mayo Park. Picture: Supplied

“Without saying no, we are really saying all the way to the election with Steven Marshall and his stadium,” Cr Martin said.

“We don’t want to do that.

“We should be saying no to all of their proposals on this site.”

“This needs to be preserved, and our response is ‘no’.”

Cr Martin was supported by long serving councillor Anne Moran, who has battled various major developments within the Parklands including Adelaide Oval and the construction of a permanent grandstand at Victoria Park.

“This council needs to remember we are not a branch of the Liberal state government,” she said.

“We are the historical custodians and protectors of the Adelaide Parklands.

“This was not foreseen by those people who gave us that great honour.”

Councillor Phillip Martin. Picture: Morgan Sette

Cr Moran said the council should support the construction of a new Women’s and Children’s Hospital.

“Yes but no to car park, no to stadiums, no to permanent buildings in the parklands,” she said.

“Saying no makes you not complicit in the biggest parkland grab in the history of parklands.”

“There is no way this huge land grab can be seen as protecting or preserving our green space.”

Ms Verschoor agreed, saying she did not agree with the new entertainment subzone zone within the Riverbank Precinct being used for an entertainment arena or 20 storey buildings.

“It is a very, very large parcel of land,” she said.

The proposed Riverbank Arena in Helen Mayo Park. Picture: Supplied.

The proposed Riverbank Arena in Helen Mayo Park. Picture: Supplied

Contacted for comment, Ms Verschoor, the presiding member of the Adelaide Parklands Authority, said the council was legally entrusted to protect the parklands.

“I used my casting vote as I hold genuine concerns about built form in the entertainment sub zone more broadly, rather than the arena itself,” she said.

“It also allows for residential, commercial and health developments – and a height of 20 building levels.”

Ms Verschoor said the area’s cultural significance to the Kaurna people also needed to be further investigated before there was any construction.