Royal Adelaide Show Society moves to lock in Park Lands car park with Glenelg tram line closed

Officials say the plans are in place to deal with closure of a busy tram route during this year’s Royal Adelaide Show, as they move to shore up the future of a major car park spot.

Alternative transport will fill the gap left by the closure of the busy tram route during this year’s Royal Adelaide Show, organisers say, as they move to guarantee the future of a popular car parking spot in the city Park Lands.

Plans for the Glenelg tram line closure come as the Royal Agricultural and Horticultural Society of SA launches a bid to continue to use the Kadaltilla Adelaide Park Lands as parking spaces after next year.

Parking for the Royal Adelaide Show has an unclear future as the deed for Adelaide Park Lands use runs out next year. Picture Dean Martin

The deed for the Park Lands to be used by the Show as parking will end in 2026, but the new request seeks to extend use for up to 30 more years.

“We know that parking is something that will always be wanted,” show society chief executive Will Rayner said.

“What we’re looking for now is long term certainty.”

The Park Lands authority met on Wednesday to discuss the current deed, which has been in place since 2011.

An Adelaide City Council spokesman said discussions around future arrangements were “at an early stage”, and would need to be considered by the Park Lands authority and ultimately the council.

The new deed request is on a 10-year recurring basis — totalling 30 years — but it was recommended the authority accept a 15 year total renewal, “in line with the existing deed”.

Recommendations were made in for the Park Lands authority and council to “progress with negotiations” and present a draft deed of agreement in June.

Royal Agricultural and Horticultural Society of SA chief executive, Will Rayner with his daughter Elsie (2022). Picture: Brenton Edwards

Mr Rayner said he was “pretty positive” the request would be accepted, considering the Park Lands had been used as parking since the Show relocated to Wayville in 1926.

He also said the show society had not requested for additional parking allocation in the Park Lands this year, despite the tram route closures.

The Glenelg tram line will be closed for six months, starting from August 4, as work starts on three major projects including upgrades to the South Rd overpass, and removal of level crossings at Marion and Cross Rds, and Morphett Rd and Anzac Hwy.

The closures will not negatively impact the Show, which starts on August 30, Mr Rayner said.

“We’re working really closely with the Department of Infrastructure and Transport to make sure there will be appropriate services over the nine days,” he said.

“There will be replacement bus services during the Show period.

“Last year we trialled free buses from the city so that people could park in the UParks in the city and then come out which worked really well, and we’ll look at that again this year.”

A DIT spokeswoman said Adelaide Metro runs additional tran and bus services during the Show to cater for large crowds, and further buses will operate during the tram closure.

“During major events, additional replacement buses will operate to cater for increased passengers,” she said.

“The number of substitute buses will be increased on weekends during the Royal Adelaide Show to cater for travellers who would normally have used the trams to get to and from the event.”

Originally published as Royal Adelaide Show Society moves to lock in Park Lands car park with Glenelg tram line closed