Premier Peter Malinauskas has blasted Adelaide City Council over a rejected Adelaide Comets Football Club pitch fence

Premier Peter Malinauskas has unleashed on Adelaide City Council voting against plans for a soccer pitch fence, saying they are mind bogglingly “crazy.”

Premier Peter Malinauskas has blasted Adelaide City Council as “crazy” for voting down plans to allow one of SA’s top soccer clubs to host National Premier League matches at its parklands home ground through the installation of a low fence.

“Here we have got the Adelaide City Council getting in the way of young people playing sport in the park lands – I think that’s crazy,” he said.

“Here is the state government investing in infrastructure on land owned by the council, we would have thought they’d welcome that and actively facilitate it rather than getting in the way of it.

“We invest in the parklands so people can use it in a way the parklands were designed, I don’t know why the council wants to get in the position where they are effectively standing in the way of young men and women getting access to a high quality facility to be able to use in the parklands.”

The Comets had received $1.7m in state government funding for upgrades which included new lights, clubrooms and a main pitch – and the fence.

Mr Malinauskas noted there are sporting fields throughout the park lands which are accessible to the public.

Yuka Sasaki with president, Jim Tsouvalas, and Izabel Czechowicz from the Adelaide Comets Football Club, where Adelaide City Council have knocked back a request for a 1.1m fence to be built. Picture: Matt Loxton

“My own footy club has its home ground on the park lands and it is completely accessible to the public, all of the time,” he said.

“When there’s a game being played the public will normally walk around the oval if you’re in the middle of a game, but outside of that it is entirely publicly accessible.

“In politics sometimes your mind boggles, but in local politics, in the Adelaide City Council it feels like that is happening on a highly frequent basis.”

Council rejected a request made by Adelaide Comets Football Club to upgrade its Ellis Park home with a 1.1m high fence with gates in order to comply with Football Australia venue requirements.

It means it will be unable to host National Premier League matches at its home pitch again this season.

The proposal was originally unanimously recommended by the City Community Services and Culture Committee, on February 6 after adhering to conditions laid out by the Adelaide Park Lands Authority. It also had approval from the Adelaide Park Lands Authority.

However, after a lengthy debate which included fears about “built infrastructure” on the parklands, councillors voted 5-4 that the proposal for the fence should be rejected due to the possibility it could set a “precedent” for the parklands and create an illusion that the public would be excluded.

Gates in the fence would open on non-game days, allowing public access.

The fence was the last piece of necessary upgrades the Comets had received $1.7m in state government funding for, which also included new lights, clubrooms and a main pitch.

Critics of the council decision note other sports fields in the parklands have fences, as do tennis courts.

Infrastructure and Transport Minister Tom Koutsantonis, who is a Comets life member, called on the council to reconsider its decision.

“I hope the council reconsiders and shows some commonsense,” he said. “I’m bitterly disappointed for the club.”

Adelaide Comets FC has booked ServiceFM Stadium in Gepps Cross for its home matches in season 2024 if it cannot get the fence.

Originally published as Premier Peter Malinauskas has blasted Adelaide City Council over a rejected Adelaide Comets Football Club pitch fence