![\"Hundreds](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/fc1e4cbec50267b408883d367829c368.jpeg\")
<\/p>\nMore than 1,000 protesters have gathered on the steps of South Australia’s parliament to condemn the cutting down of hundreds of trees at the North Adelaide Golf Course.<\/p>\n
A chant of “stop the chop” has rung out in Adelaide’s CBD, with protesters holding signs criticising the state government’s decision to redevelop the site.<\/p>\n
SA Police officers are in attendance.<\/p>\n
Work began this week to remove about 600 trees from the course, which is located in the Adelaide Park Lands, to make way for a $45 million redevelopment of the course initially intended to host LIV Golf.<\/p>\n
Protester Sonia Blackwell said by axing trees at the site known as “Possum Park”, the government was putting the needs of “a few golfers” ahead of the city.<\/p>\n
“We’re here today because we disagree with the Malinauskas government cutting down nearly 600 trees in our heritage park lands for a golf course,” she said.<\/p>\n
“It’s sheer lunacy. Something has to be done to stop it.<\/p>\n
“Hardly anyone’s sleeping, we care so much and we feel so helpless. It’s devastating.”<\/p>\n
A protester on the steps of parliament. (ABC News: Briana Fiore)<\/p>\n
Sue Westover from Bat Rescue SA said she was distressed by the impact on animals.<\/p>\n
“The bats are being really affected \u2026 along with the possums and the birds,” she said.<\/p>\n
“It’s absolutely devastating to lose our trees \u2014 but also lose part of our ecosystem.”<\/p>\n
Primary Industries Minister Clare Scriven today defended the government’s position, and reiterated that every felled tree would be replaced by three others.<\/p>\n
“What we need to remember though is that this is going to be a world-class public golf course. It will attract visitors to South Australia and to Adelaide and be available to residents of South Australia,” she said.<\/p>\n
“It’s a relatively small amount of trees, notwithstanding we never want to see trees removed unless it’s essential, so we’re not expecting significant impacts on wildlife in that area.<\/p>\n
“There’s over 9,000 trees on the [North] Adelaide Golf Course and this represents around about 6 per cent removal of trees. We’re of course then replanting at a ratio of about three to one.”<\/p>\n
Yesterday, Environment Minister Emily Bourke said the removal of trees had been conducted in a way that minimised impact on local wildlife.<\/p>\n
“We’ve got four fauna experts on the ground every day through this process \u2014 we are taking it seriously,” she said.<\/p>\n
“We want this to be an incredible golf course experience, but we also want the environment to be protected along the way.”<\/p>\n
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