The South Australian government argues that major infrastructure projects like the O-Bahn tunnel and the new Women's and Children's Hospital set precedents for accommodating large-scale works within Adelaide’s parklands without significant environmental or heritage impacts. The government submitted its plans for a MotoGP circuit to the federal government, emphasizing that most of the work involves upgrades to existing infrastructure rather than substantial new construction. This submission follows a Federal Court ruling on another parklands project and includes an assessment of potential impacts on the grey-headed flying fox, concluding these effects will be temporary and localized.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-04,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
In short:
The SA government says Adelaide's O-Bahn and new Women's and Children's Hospital have set precedents for major work in the city's parklands.
asserted
Bahn → say → parklands
The government argues the MotoGP circuit mostly involves upgrades to existing infrastructure.
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circuit → argue → infrastructure
The government has referred its circuit plans to the Commonwealth for assessment.
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government → refer → assessment
The O-Bahn tunnel and new Women's and Children's Hospital have set precedents for major work in the Adelaide parklands, the state government has argued in a MotoGP circuit assessment.
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government → set → assessment
Mounting a case that the track design will not degrade the national heritage values of the parklands, the government said the area had a long history of accommodating infrastructure works and major events.
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area → mount → works
It cited the tunnel, new hospital and south parklands stormwater project as examples of works assessed under federal conservation laws and determined not to be "controlled action".
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It → cite → laws
Under those laws, controlled actions are projects classed as having a significant impact on the environment or heritage of a place.
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actions → control → place
Last week, a Federal Court judge ruled the government's North Adelaide Golf Course redevelopment, also on the parklands, did not meet that threshold.
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redevelopment → rule → threshold
In a separate case lodged recently in the Federal Court, legal action is also brewing against the South Australian government's plans for the MotoGP circuit.
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action → lodge → circuit
Heritage, flying fox considered
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fox → consider → ?
While the MotoGP report acknowledged past projects cannot be used to assess the street circuit, it said they demonstrated that previous "substantial and permanent changes" to the parklands have been judged to have no significant impact on heritage values.
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changes → acknowledge → values
Unlike other parklands projects, it said, the MotoGP circuit mostly involves upgrades to existing infrastructure.
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circuit → say → infrastructure
The O-Bahn tunnel opened in 2017 and construction is underway on the Women's and Children's Hospital at the old Thebarton Barracks site.
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construction → open → site
The arguments relating to the circuit were made in a submission to the federal government as part of a self-referral.
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arguments → relate → referral
The report also addressed impact on the grey-headed flying fox, a threatened species found in the project area.
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report → address → area
It acknowledged that the work would result in a temporary disturbance during construction and when the event is held, and a loss of potential foraging areas.
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event → acknowledge → areas
But it said the impacts are localised and there would be no effect on roosting sites or critical habitat.
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impacts → say → sites
Overall, the assessment concluded that the MotoGP circuit is unlikely to result in significant impact on the environment or heritage of the parklands.
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circuit → conclude → parklands
Public consultation on the submission closed on Friday, with the federal government's assessment now pending.
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assessment → close → Friday
The report examined the infrastructure, landscape and works associated with the proposed circuit, but it did not look at event operations including the race itself, concerts, spectator facilities and temporary structures.
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it → examine → race
'Time problem' for government
Revealing the proposed circuit design at the end of August, Premier Peter Malinauskas said the government had received expert advice that a referral to the Commonwealth was not required.
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referral → reveal → Commonwealth
But he said the project would be referred anyway, as a measure to prevent delays.
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project → say → delays
"We've got a time problem," Mr Malinauskas said.
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Malinauskas → get → problem
"We've got to get all this done by November [2027], and so we are naturally concerned about what activist litigation might do if we follow the advice and stick with the self-assessment."
uncertain
we → get → assessment
Parts of the North Adelaide Golf Course redevelopment were stalled during the Federal Court case, which also argued that the project should have been referred.
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project → stall → case
Dismissing the case on Thursday, Justice Natalie Charlesworth said tree loss and construction on the northern parklands was unlikely to disturb the landscape in a significant way.
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loss → dismiss → way
The Aporia