‘Nature positive’: Park lands pledge from SA environment boss
Bourke talks up how her nature-positive package will enhance the city park lands in an exclusive chat with InDaily.
Environment Minister Emily Bourke is “disappointed” by the backlash received by the Conservation Council of South Australia after reports suggested the group supported the government’s MotoGP plans.
She said the $15 million funding for the park lands was an “incredible achievement” by the environmental advocacy group.
“It’s disappointing because I think if you were to read through any of the commentary from the Conservation Council, they made it very clear that this race should not be in the park lands, but instead of being outraged, they found a way to get an outcome for the park lands that no one else has done before,” she said.
“I think this is a result of particularly the Conservation Council’s willingness to say, ‘The race is going ahead, what can be the nature-positive outcome from that?’
“That’s an incredible achievement and one that, if you’re not supportive of this nature-positive outcome, what are you arguing for? It is really easy to be outraged, but it’s also really important to sit down and find solutions.”
The state government announced its Adelaide Park Lands Nature Positive Package on the weekend at the unveiling of the new MotoGP track plan following widespread protests over the loss of hundreds of trees for MotoGP and the upgraded North Adelaide Golf Course.
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Premier Peter Malinauskas said at the unveiling of the plan that it was formulated after consultation with the Conservation Council.
Plans revealed on Sunday showed 377 trees would be removed, with the government saying a majority were either “unregulated, invasive species, dead or in poor health”.
Of the hundreds of trees to be felled, 42 are classified as significant, with the government saying every tree removed would be replaced. on a 10:1 basis.
Bourke said the $15 million would create a “greener, cooler, wilder” park lands, saying it would result in a “nature-positive” outcome and that “this has been triggered as a package because of the MotoGP”.
She said the new package was in addition to replacement trees that would lead to a net increase of at least 3393 trees in the park lands.
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When asked if a media event where she planted trees in the Northern Park Lands, held as thousands of protesters attended a “Stop the Chop” rally in the city on August 23, was about showing the government cared for the park lands, Bourke said that “again and again, our projects have shown that we invest more back into our park lands”.
In addition to the Northern Park Lands, Minister Bourke pointed towards the new Adelaide Aquatic Centre being on a smaller footprint than the former centre, with 1000 square metres of land returned to the park lands.
Bourke said the increase in hospitality jobs, with a record high of 27,000 people directly employed in pubs and hotel accommodation, as well as the increase in hotel rooms, was a result of the government investing in major events.
“This growth is happening because we are investing in major events,” she said.
“Having a street circuit in the city is only going to add to those employment numbers.”
Bourke was meeting conservation groups this week, including butterfly groups and Trees for Life, to implement the new package, with its focus on revegetating the park lands with native species.
Among the investments in the $15 million nature positive package is $5.5 million to increase canopy cover and habitat in the park lands – including 123,000 under-storey plantings – with Bourke saying the government would consult with the community over what type of canopy would be planted and where it would go.
The package also includes $1.1 million for Trees for Life to support the delivery of up to one million native seedlings over the next two years, as well as $4.06 million for revitalising and re-wilding the River Torrens, $1.1 million for stormwater infrastructure.
There would also be $1.35 million for the South Australian Seed Conservation Centre in the Botanic Gardens and State Herbarium and one million to boost Green Adelaide’s Grassroots Grants Program.
“[What] you’ll see in this document is that we’ve done our homework – we’ve gone through and mapped out where those plantable places are in the park lands and also in the local Adelaide community, because we don’t want to be putting plants in places where there should be open space,” Bourke said.
When asked how she was making a name for herself as Environment Minister, Bourke said she has been busy meeting with stakeholders and getting the job done.
“For me, it’s been about working with the stakeholders, because we get the privilege of being in these roles, but it’s about, ‘How do you get people to the table to make a difference?” she said.
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