People's struggle continues against SA government " love affair" with property developers and their $1 per year rent!

Written by: Ned K. on 31 October 2025

 

In the middle of winter this year several thousand people took to the streets and rallied on the steps of SA Parliament House on North Terrace in Adelaide. The people of diverse backgrounds included First Nations people, blue- and white-collar workers, young people, retired people and some former politicians. 

They were there to send a message to the SA Government that they opposed the proposed LIV Golf "development" on Park Lands which was also sacred land of the Kaurna people. (The name "LIV" refers to the Roman numerals for 54, the number of holes played at LIV events.) They also opposed the decision of the SA Government to allow the private for-profit property developer Walker Corporation to build a 38 Level office tower (Festival Tower 2) immediately behind Parliament House.

In October this year, the SA Government announced that it had "consulted " with Kaurna Elders, and the LIV Golf course development would go ahead with a minor concession to quarantine from the development a small area of land nearest to the Karra Wirri Parri (river of Red Gum Forest), named Torrens Lake by the British colonists after their invasion of Kaurna lands in 1836.

This small concession was rejected by Kaurna people who argue that the minor concession is tokenism as there will still be destruction of land where Kaurna people's descendants now rest. The Kaurna people are supported in their struggle to preserve lands sacred to them by the Adelaide Park Lands Association.
The proposed Walker Corporation 38 level office tower immediately behind Parliament House is also on Park Lands, as is Parliament House itself!

How did this come about? 

The British colonial city of Adelaide on Kaurna land was planned by British colonialist William Light in 1837. On 7th February of that year he wrote to the colonial Resident Commissioner that the city of Adelaide be bordered by 920 hectares of Park Lands of native vegetation with the streets bordering the city being North, East, South and West Terraces. 

"Light's Vision" as this came to be known did allow the Park Lands to be used for "recreation of citizens and various Government building or other purpose". 

Over time various not-for-profit sporting grounds and recreation facilities were built at various points on the Park Lands.

The understanding was that no private for-profit buildings could be built on any of the Park Lands surrounding the boundaries of this Central Business District of Adelaide.

In recent decades successive governments have "privatized" the use of the Park Lands.

For example, the Casino was built on land previously part of the government owned Adelaide Railway Station. The not-for-profit University of Adelaide was built on Park Lands as was the not-for-profit public hospital, RAH. The University is now a for-profit degree factory while the new RAH is operated by private for-profit interests on a 30-year lease.

Under the Marshall Liberal Government between 2018 and 2022, the Walker Corporation property developer was granted a long lease to build Festival Tower 1 and Sky City Casino was granted a lease to extend the Casino and build a five-star hotel, both on the Festival Theatre Plaza.

When the Malinauskas Labor Government came to office in 2022, it found that the Walker Corporation had a lease signed sealed and delivered for a second 3 Level Festival Tower 2 immediately behind Parliament House.

This land was originally part of the Park Lands and then became part of the SA Government owned Festival Theatre Plaza built during the Don Dunstan Government experiment of the 1970s.

In a decision which showed how much the Premier Malinauskas is a servant of the property developers in Adelaide, the SA Government, rather than opposing any Festival Tower 2 development by the Walker Corporation, agreed that Walker's second Festival Tower development immediately overlooking Parliament House could be not a 3 Level office building, but a 38 Level office tower!

The updated tower scheme comes after South Australian Minister for Planning Nick Champion initiated a planning Code Amendment in January 2025, enabling a maximum building height of 40 storeys. The Code Amendment, that changed the zoning law, was rushed through without following the government’s own community engagement charter, or due planning process.

If that wasn't enough to appease the Walker Corporation, the lease agreement included that the rent Walker Corporation would pay the SA Government was $1 per year for the next 100 years!

Last week, former SA Labor Government Premier Lynn Arnold was part of a delegation of concerned citizens who met with current Premier Malinauskas in an effort to get him to overturn the deal with Wlaker Corporation. 

For those people in SA who see Parliament House as a symbol of the limited democratic rights that exist under capitalism in the (still) colonial state of South Australia, having a private-for-profit 38 Level office tower casting its daunting shadow over this House was the straw that broke the camel's back.

Premier Malinauskas told the concerned delegation that he would get back to them regarding their concerns. However soon after the meeting one of his faithful off-siders, Minister (for the Property Council vested interests!) Nick Champion praised the Walker Corporation development claiming a 38 Level office tower will create millions of dollars of "wealth" to South Australia!

With a state election due in March 2026, the dream run of Malinauskas Government "partnership" with big business is looking shaky!

 

 

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