‘Parklands Putin’: City mayor candidate Rex Patrick calls out Premier Peter Malinauskas

The lord mayoral candidate has railed against Adelaide Botanic High’s expansion on to the parklands – despite once complaining he couldn’t enrol his daughter there.

Lord mayoral candidate Rex Patrick has railed against the intrusion of the Adelaide Botanic High School expansion onto parklands – despite previously complaining about not being able to enrol his daughter there due to capacity constraints.

In a statement on Monday, the former South Australian senator labelled Premier Peter Malinauskas “Parklands Putin” over the state government’s takeover of parts of the green belt for the planned new Adelaide Aquatic Centre and Women’s and Children’s Hospital projects, as well as the school.

“They’ve chosen to take parklands next to the current Botanic High School for a school expansion because it’s easy and they think the land is free,” he said.

In March, 2021, Mr Patrick told The Advertiser of how he had not been able to secure a place for his daughter Audrey at Adelaide Botanic High due to it being full and despite living within the zone, along with Adelaide High and Norwood Morialta High.

At the time, Mr Patrick said the public schools were at rights to knock him back under capacity management plans but there were “not plans to deal with the (capacity) problem, just plans to turn students away”. “It’s not a plan, it’s a lawful excuse,” he said.

A $98m expansion for an extra 700 students was backed by both major parties ahead of the March state election.

Artist’s impression of Adelaide Botanic High School.

Infrastructure Minister Tom Koutsantonis said the Botanic High expansion would also result in no net loss of parklands after a land swap agreement with Adelaide City Council.

The council will receive the government-controlled Helen Mayo Park, on the River Torrens, in exchange for a 1.8ha parcel of parklands on Frome Rd.

“Just last year, Mr Patrick was complaining that the school was so full it could not accept some students who lived within the schools’ shared zone,” Mr Koutsantonis said.

“Labor has now solved this concern – and expanded the school’s intake zones – and Mr Patrick is still complaining.”

Asked on Tuesday if his current position was at odds with his complaint over his daughter’s enrolment, Mr Patrick said the minister’s response was “the suggestion that to increase school capacity for the Adelaide area then you have to do it on parklands”.

“That simply isn’t the case but it does show how the government thinks,” he said.

The then-SA senator Rex Patrick and daughter Audrey, who was knocked back from Adelaide Botanic High, Adelaide High and Norwood Morialta due to the schools being at capacity. Picture: Naomi Jellicoe

On Monday, Mr Patrick said the state government has a total disregard for parklands protection and value and Mr Malinauskas was becoming known as “Parklands Putin”.

“He’s fired an indiscriminate legislative missile at the parklands as he tries to annex land that doesn’t belong to him,” he said.

“The Adelaide parklands belong to the people and it’s a disgrace that they should be carved up to suit the convenience of the government of the day.”

Mr Patrick referred to Infrastructure Department documents, obtained under Freedom of Information, that showed only one site was considered for the new aquatic centre.

He had asked for documents that showed consideration/analysis of sites other than parklands for the aquatic centre, but was told no such documents exist.

Using the same refrain, he said the government had chosen Park 2 “because it’s easy and they think the land is free”.

Mr Koutsantonis said it was a Labor election promise to build the new $80m aquatic centre “on the current site or in the adjacent corner” of Denise Norton Park (Park 2).

He said community feedback on three locations in Park 2 was “overwhelming” in favour of it being built immediately south of the existing centre. It was then considered by a community reference group.

“It would not have escaped Mr Patrick’s attention that there is already an aquatic centre located in Park 2 – whose current location will be returned to parklands upon completion of the replacement facility,” Mr Koutsantonis said.

“Importantly, the development of the new Adelaide Aquatic Centre will result in no net loss of parklands and the site chosen was the one with the least impact on existing trees – allowing the existing carpark to be utilised in the design.”