Controversial MotoGP survey results revealed
An Adelaide City Council survey slammed for being biased, has revealed the number of locals with negative feelings about MotoGP park lands work.
A total of 3,664 people have responded to the Adelaide City Council’s survey on the upcoming Adelaide Circuit redevelopment for the 2027 MotoGP, with the majority raising fears for the future of the park lands.
The council launched its online community consultation in early September, saying it would inform its response to the state government’s broader consultation around the MotoGP track plans.
Results show upwards of 80 per cent of respondents perceive the impacts of the circuit redevelopment negatively, particularly among frequent Adelaide Park Lands users and participants who use the park lands for sport, recreation and leisure.
“The consultation sought to understand how the redevelopment could affect people who live, work, run businesses, visit and use the city and Park Lands, including potential construction impacts, broader implications and public value,” the report says.
Respondents were asked 20 questions gauging community engagement with the state government’s track plans, community expectations around the track and broader impacts on the community.
One question asked “what impacts do you believe the redevelopment will have on you?” while another asked, “which potential impacts concern you most?”.
You might like
Around 15 per cent of all survey respondents believed the circuit redevelopment would either positively impact them or have no impact at all.
“Most participants [83–84 per cent] expected the impacts to be negative, with around two-thirds [63–64 per cent] believing they would be ‘very negative’,” the council report said.
“Environmental impacts, particularly loss of vegetation and effects on wildlife, are participants’ greatest concern, ranking above concerns about access to the Park Lands and the city.
“Participants want Council to actively support the community through the MotoGP transition and to advocate for protecting the Park Lands for public use.”
More than 80 per cent of participants called on the council to advocate to the state government for the preservation and protection of the Adelaide Park Lands.
It follows the unveiling of the MotoGP track plan that will revive elements of Adelaide’s Grand Prix track and require the removal of 377 trees.
Stay informed, daily
Premier Peter Malinauskas said there were currently 8,895 trees in the circuit precinct, and 95 per cent would remain “untouched” by the redevelopment.
A $15 million Adelaide Park Lands Nature Positive Package would also be delivered alongside the project and Malinauksas said the event was expected to deliver the state a $200 million economic boon.
The survey has been slammed by Australian Hotels Association South Australia CEO Anna Moeller who called it a “one-sided” and “meaningless survey”.
“I don’t think [the survey] really provides the opportunity to say if you want the MotoGP race here or not,” she said.
Business owners within the CBD accounted for seven per cent of the survey respondents, with concerns around businesses and deliveries accounting for nine per cent of total responses to “which journeys or activities are most likely to be affected?”.
The survey revealed negative sentiment was lower among CBD business owners and operators while less frequent users of the park lands also reported lower negative sentiment.
Traffic and parking was raised as a concern by 27 per cent of participants while issues surrounding the morning commute into the CBD for work was raised by 14 per cent.
A state government spokesperson told InDaily the results were “completely unsurprising, given the negative bias of the council’s survey questions”.
“As groups like the Australian Hotels Association and the Property Council have already publicly critiqued, the council’s survey was “completely one-sided”,” the spokesperson said.
“Public consultation by the Department for Infrastructure and Transport for the Adelaide Circuit Redevelopment Project closed on Sunday, with more than 6,000 survey responses received, plus feedback via email from more than 650 people. The project team is collating the results.
“The State Government looks forward to delivering this project which will bring significant economic benefits to the city and state, as committed at the election.”
Want to see more stories from InDaily SA in your Google search results?
- Click here to set InDaily SA as a preferred source.
- Tick the box next to "InDaily SA". That's it.
