Adelaide Council reverses rejection of South Australian Government’s Riverbank arena plans

The South Australian Government’s proposal to develop a new 15,000-capacity arena on the banks of the River Torrens in central Adelaide have been boosted after the Adelaide City Council announced its backing for the project.

Reversing its earlier objections for the $660 million project, Adelaide City Councillors last night voted six to five to back the project that would replace the existing Adelaide Entertainment Centre.

The move represented a change from the Council, whose previous objections had been based on a feared loss of green space within the Adelaide Park Lands.

The move followed a South Australian Government compromise that will commit to “no net loss” of open space as part of the project, intended for a 71-hectare parcel of land at Helen Mayo Park.

South Australian Premier Steven Marshall unveiled plans for the new venue arena back in March, making it a key part of his Liberal Government’s manifesto ahead of next year’s state elections.

The venue, to be the home of court sports, entertainment and conventions, is the cornerstone of the Liberal Party’s re-election bid while the opposition Labor Party has pledged it will not go ahead with the plan and instead spend $100 million on country health.

Adelaide Park Lands Association President, Shane Sody condemned the decision immediately after the vote and cast doubt on the plan for no net loss of public land, commenting “the city council has voted to sacrifice hundreds of trees and hectares of open green public parklands.”

Images: Renders of the planned arena in the Adelaide Riverbank precinct. Supplied.