Canberra urged to act on China consulate complaints

The federal government is being urged to examine the size of China’s Adelaide consulate.

A home in Joslin sits just metres from the Chinese consulate. Picture: Roy VanDerVegt

The federal government is being urged to examine the size and scope of China’s South Australian consulate amid growing community unease over such a large complex in the middle of a quiet Adelaide suburb.

Two South Australian senators are urging Foreign Minister Marine Payne to look into the workings of the consulate in Joslin after more than 20 neighbouring residents raised concerns with The Australian.

At the western end of the consulate, residents in a row of townhouses had their fence destroyed by labourers working on construction projects inside the consulate and had to have it replaced by the council.

More residents of Fourth and Fifth Avenue, which is straddled by the 5600sq m consulate, contacted The Australian at the weekend with complaints about the use of security cameras on every corner of the consulate, some of which face ­directly at homes.

A resident of Fourth Avenue who cannot be named as she is a state government employee said she no longer used the laneway to take her children to a neighbourhood playground as the consulate installed cameras along the length of the laneway.

“No one likes having these cameras here,” she said. “It wouldn’t matter if they were Chinese, German or Australian; it is totally inappropriate having these cameras everywhere in an area that is filled with private homes.”

Senator Rex Patrick has ­accused the consulate of spying and says it has no place in Australia’s defence and space capital.

He also questioned the need for the consulate to have 12 staff in a city the size of Adelaide. The city has only two other consulates staffed with foreign nationals, Greece and Italy, and they have far fewer staff than the Chinese consulate.

He revealed correspondence on Sunday with Senator Payne in which he demands the federal government do more to at least limit the size of the consulate.

“Will the Minister for Foreign Affairs require that the number of personnel at the Chinese consulate-general in Adelaide be ­reduced to a level comparable with other foreign consulates in South Australia?” Senator Patrick also asked.

In reply, Senator Payne said: “DFAT continues to evaluate the nomination of diplomatic staff nominated by foreign governments across all diplomatic posts in Australia”.

Senator Patrick said he was not satisfied with the response and would raise the matter in estimates hearings.

SA Liberal senator Alex Antic said he would also contact Senator Payne with broader questions about the consulate. “I have some questions about the size of the consulate and I will be writing to the Minister for Foreign Affairs in relation to these concerns, as well as the observations regarding behaviour that have been made.”

Premier Steven Marshall is the member for the eastern suburbs seat of Dunstan where the consulate is located. A government spokesman on Sunday confirmed he had received complaints.

“The member for Dunstan has been contacted by a small number of constituents regarding this matter and has referred these development concerns to the local council who have responsibility for any such applications in the area,” the spokesman said.

However, Norwood Payneham and St Peters Mayor Robert Bria has said the council’s “hands are tied” on many of the complaints as the conduct of the consulate is governed by federal laws.

The consulate has defended itself against the residents’ criticisms, with consul-general Li Zhang admitting there had been some complaints over building works but denying any of the neighbours had been poorly treated or any laws disobeyed.