Kouts admits LIV Golf ‘looking unlikely’ to go ahead in 2027
The state treasurer has admitted it is “unlikely” that LIV Golf will go ahead in 2027, as Kooyonga Golf Course launches legal action.
Treasurer Tom Koutsantonis has told ABC Radio on Thursday it was “looking unlikely” that LIV Golf would go ahead in 2027, but is remaining hopeful.
Koutsantonis’ take comes amid news Kooyonga Golf Course, which is set to host the 2027 LIV Golf tournament in March, has filed a motion with the US Bankruptcy Court seeking confirmation by November 6 whether LIV will proceed with its agreement to hold the event.
The club was also seeking LIV to “cover the projected costs the club will incur to meet its obligations under the agreement” including out-of-pocket expenses and booking costs.
“We have taken the step of filing a motion seeking these protections because under Chapter 11, a company can otherwise take a long time to decide whether to continue with its existing agreements,” the Kooyonga statement said.
“Our support for the event hasn’t changed. We want to see the event go ahead at Kooyonga.”
In September, LIV Golf filed a Chapter 11 petition in New Jersey to “preserve the company’s business” after it lost its financial backing from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF).
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After four years of hosting the tournament at Grange Golf Course, the event was set for a one-off at Kooyonga Golf Course in 2027 before moving to the $45 million redeveloped North Adelaide Golf Course from 2028.
SA Greens leader Robert Simms told InDaily that the “business case for the North Adelaide Golf Course redevelopment is in tatters”.
“How can the government justify spending millions of dollars to redevelop a golf course for a tournament that they say is unlikely to go ahead?” Simms said.
“With South Australians struggling with rising cost of living and inflation, why not spend this money on relief for those doing it tough.”
Adelaide City Councillor Keiran Snape said the treasurer’s comment was “not unexpected”, and that the state government’s “house of cards” was collapsing.
“Today, I’m calling on [Premier Peter] Malinauskas to apologise to the people of South Australia for the destruction of Possum Park, and immediately halt any further tree felling for the Golf Course redevelopment,” he said.
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Koutsantonis said “Kooyonga is right to be asking these questions of LIV” and defended the North Adelaide redevelopment.
“I can just reassure taxpayers that we don’t pay anything to LIV in advance. We only pay once the tournament has been successfully staged, so we pay in arrears,” Koutsantonis said.
“If the tournament doesn’t go ahead, we won’t be paying anything. So taxpayers are protected.
“But the government’s been working very hard to make sure that we’ve got a replacement with the Australian Open, men’s and women’s, coming over the next six years to South Australia. That’s a good outcome to replace LIV.”
Premier Malinauskas said the state government continued to monitor the situation “very closely” but admitted it was a “fifty-fifty” proposition to go ahead.
“[LIV] continue to advise us through officials that they’re determined to be here next year,” Malinauskas said.
“I don’t think this is going to drag on infinitum though, because ultimately if it goes ahead there needs to be a degree of certainty at some point and I think that’s something we have to get resolved in the next month or so.”
The state government announced that the men and women’s Australian Open golf championships would be hosted at the North Adelaide Golf Course from 2028, with construction beginning in April this year which included the removal of 585 trees.
On Thursday afternoon, Federal Court Judge Natalie Charlesworth will hand down her judgement in the high-profile case over the $45 million taxpayer funded golf course.
Charlesworth will rule on proceedings brought by public servant Edwin Kemp Attrill and Kaurna traditional owner Janette Milera against the state government, about whether the plans should have been referred to the federal environment minister.
Kemp Atrill and Milera’s lawyers argued the plans should have been referred to the minister to test the project against the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act).
The state government, represented by lawyer Alison Doecke KC, argued the project did not meet the threshold for referral to the Federal Environment Minister.
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