Belair National Park soccer plan for golf course would fell hundreds of rare, old trees: Conservation SA and arborist Dean Nicolle

Arborist report reveals hundreds of trees face the axe in a controversial plan for seven soccer fields and clubrooms at Belair National Park.

Hundreds of trees – many more than a century old – face the chop if a controversial plan for soccer pitches goes ahead in Belair National Park, say opponents.

Conservation SA enlisted a native tree expert to document the trees threatened under a draft masterplan for the former golf course and country club.

The proposal – out for public consultation – would include seven soccer pitches and new home base for Sturt Lions Football Club.

But the masterplan is coy about the extent of land clearing required on the ten hectare site.

The Sturt Lions Football Club proposal is to establish a new home ground, comprising of pitches and a clubroom on the southern boundary of the Belair National Park. Source: Former Belair National Park Golf Course and Country Club Precinct Master Plan

Botanist and renowned eucalyptus expert Dean Nicolle identified 336 “remnant and semi-remnant” trees in the proposed development zone, including 231 rare grey box eucalyptus.

As many as 125 trees were classified as “very high biodiversity value”.

His study also found 16 trees were more than 200 years old and 260 trees were more than 100 years old.

(Remnant trees predate European settlement and development at the site, while semi-remnant trees are native to the area and self-seeded).

The site (white polygon) within Belair National Park of the new soccer ground proposed by Sturt Lions Football Club. Source: Arboricultural Report: Belair National Park, by Dean Nicolle.

Conservation SA Chief Executive Craig Wilkins said it was shocking to learn that rare trees in the state’s oldest national park were at risk.

“To contemplate deliberately destroying hundreds of ancient trees in a national park is simply bizarre,” he said.

“National Parks are kept in trust for the people of South Australia as a refuge for nature.”

The report can be found at www.conservationsa.org.au/belair_tree_report

Belair National Park Action Group’s Danielle Blanchette, of Hawthorndene, said removing 200-year-old trees to make way for soccer pitches was “horrific”. “This is a national park, especially with everything that we know about climate change now, we should be preserving these parks,” she said.

“We should be adding to them, not knocking these ancient trees down – it’s pretty disgusting really.”

Belair National Park Action Group members (L-R) Sands Butterworth with son Wilson, 6, Danielle Blanchette with daughter Olive, 4 and sons Sid, 13 and Beau, 11 and Kym Evans and partner Leanne Hurley and sons Jayden, 2 and Nathan, 4 with trees that would be cleared under a controversial development plan. Picture: Naomi Jellicoe

Fellow founding group member Tom Fowles, of Hawthorndene, said the proposal was “beyond belief”.

“Putting a golf course in a national park in the first place was a mistake,” he said.

“It was widely argued against at the time back in the 1930s by Sir John Cleland and Sir Douglas Mawson, pretty notable South Australians.

“So, we have an opportunity now to right wrongs of the past, to create a legacy and harness nature for long-term benefits, rather than looking at it as a site to be developed.”

The Facebook group has amassed 1600 members since late February. A change.org petition to “Save Belair National Park. Say No to Seven Soccer Pitches” has more than 7000 supporters.

Public consultation closes on Tuesday May 4, but the original YourSAy web page has displayed a “page not found” error message since April 27.

The State Government said the YourSAy site was now being hosted on a new platform with “enhanced online engagement features” but the move caused some links to be broken.

Environment Minister David Speirs said the community wanted the site “revitalised” and plans remained open for public consultation.

“One idea which emerged from the community – not the government – was a proposal to put soccer fields on the defunct golf course. Like any other proposal, this has been consulted on extensively,” he said.

“As I have said all along I have no interest in any project that would see the removal of large numbers of trees from the site and won’t be supporting such an approach.”

To clear native vegetation for development in a National Park, consultation and an application to the Native Vegetation Council would be required. This application would include provision of a “Significant Environmental Benefit” to offset any clearance.

Comment on the plans at yoursay.sa.gov.au by Tuesday May 4.