City of Adelaide lays out MotoGP grievances to Feds
Exclusive: The City of Adelaide has outlined eight major “deficiencies” in plans to build a racetrack through the park lands.
A 12-page letter, seen by InDaily, details the City of Adelaide’s main “deficiencies” with the state government’s plans to build a $96 million racetrack through the eastern park lands.
It is the organisation’s strongest-worded and most-comprehensive breakdown of the Adelaide Circuit Redevelopment project, being undertaken by the state government to facilitate the 2027 MotoGP and future editions of the bp Adelaide Grand Final.
And new council documents also reveal concerns the City of Adelaide has with losing parking revenue and potential delays to major public works projects – combined totalling hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Eight “deficiencies” were submitted by the City of Adelaide to Federal Environment Minister Murray Watt’s ongoing assessment of the project under the national Environment, Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act.
This includes claims that the project description “mischaracterises the scale of the action”, concerns that specific legislation is being ignored, and a perceived “lack of consultation… with community groups dedicated to the protection of the Adelaide Park Lands”.
The City of Adelaide’s letter penned by acting CEO Anthony Spartalis also claimed the project would reduce the “legibility of the city layout along East Terrace”, and that a survey assessment of grassland species was inaccurate as it was “undertaken on a single day in winter 2026”.
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It also states community consultation survey results finding more than 80 per cent of respondents perceived the impacts of the project negatively.
This survey was widely condemned by the state government and business interests. Australian Hotels Association SA CEO Anna Moeller told InDaily that the council’s survey had “no balance at all, to the point that it’s just a meaningless survey, and therefore a meaningless consultation”.
Alongside the letter to Watt, a newly published document proposing the city’s terms and conditions with the state government around the track development details an expected monetary hit to the council.
This includes concerns that the development could impact the council’s capital works program, including projects worth a combined $1.78 million.
And the loss of on-street parking spaces could mean the council misses out on $180,000 in parking fees.
In both cases, the council wants the state government to agree to reimbursement.
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The news comes after the state government revealed this week that Red Bull would be the major sponsor of the 2027 MotoGP.
At that press conference announcing the high-energy sponsor, Premier Peter Malinauskas had strong words for opponents of the racetrack project, which is expected to result in the removal of 377 trees in the eastern park lands.
“There are a group of activists that are clearly seeking to litigate and oppose absolutely everything, trying to make every last element of this controversial,” he said.
“That is their prerogative; the government’s prerogative is to do something very special for the state… a major event of this calibre only aids that cause.”
The Red Bull Grand Prix of Australia will be the first MotoGP race on a city street circuit, with the international energy drink brand signing a two-year agreement.
It also comes amid Federal Court proceedings launched by a Queensland-based video game developer, who is attempting to halt construction works.
Joshua Hogan is seeking an urgent stop to work associated with next year’s MotoGP street circuit due to concerns over rider safety and lack of First Nations consultation.
Hogan, who appeared in Queensland Federal Court for the first time last week, is seeking an urgent injunction that would restrain the state government, MotoGP owner Liberty Media and the global governing MotoGP body Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) from starting physical site works, land clearing, road resurfacing and the removal of trees within the Adelaide Park Lands.
The Premier said the state government was “confident” the court case would not hinder the $96 million street circuit redevelopment expected to start in the coming weeks to be ready by November 2027.
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