Protesters at SAJC headquarters.

The South Australian Jockey Club (SAJC) Board convinced a majority of its members to:

(1) SELL CHELTENHAM RACECOURSE – an enormous open space in Adelaide’s western suburbs – and use part of the very substantial proceeds from subdivision and development to

(2) JOIN THE SA MOTOR SPORTS BOARD IN ERECTING A GIANT PERMANENT MULTIFUNCTION FACILITY IN THE MIDDLE OF VICTORIA PARK.
APPA supported the strong resistance by local Cheltenham residents to the sale of Cheltenham, because without the sale proceeds the SAJC could not afford to vandalise Victoria Park. APPA ran a strong campaign against this outrageous Victoria Park proposal by the SAJC and Motor Sport boards.

APPA accepted horse racing in Victoria Park, in its 'picnic' format; we also accepted the idea of continuation of horse racing there on a revised track; but we will never support the entrenchment of motor racing within our Park Lands, and we will never support multi-storey buildings in the Park Lands’ precious open space.

A TWO-FACED CORPORATE FACILITY
THAT SAID IT ALL!
In July 2006, the State Government decided to enable the sale of Cheltenham. At an APPA public meeting on 20 March 2007, almost 300 people voted unanimously for the following resolutions:
1. This meeting supports the Adelaide Park Lands Preservation Association (APPA) in its fight against this proposed permanent multifunction complex in Victoria Park.
2. This meeting calls on Premier Rann to withdraw his government’s plans for the development of Victoria Park and to assure us of his government’s continued commitment to the preservation of Adelaide’s Park Lands.
3. This meeting calls on the Lord Mayor and the City Council to oppose the construction of the proposed permanent multifunction complex in Victoria Park and requests that the City Council not grant a lease to the Government for the construction of this building.

PUBLIC CONSULTATION ON DRAFT LEASE PROPOSAL FOR VICTORIA PARK
The Adelaide City Council conducted a public consultation on a lease proposal. The state government was the author of the lease and the lessee! The granting of a lease by the ACC would have triggered the go-ahead for the building in Victoria Park. The government would have sublet to the SAJC, the SAMSB and anyone else, including any government body or department that wanted to use Victoria Park. Subleases are not subject to scrutiny by the ACC.

The consultation ended 12 October 2007. Of the 766 responses received, more than 90 per cent were against the development and the granting of a lease.

Go to the ACC website at www.adelaidecitycouncil.com/consultation and follow the links to get the full details.

Corrections and updates:
1. Jeffrey Wheare, after reconsideration, ticked 'yes' to questions 5 and 7 in the survey.
2. Bernadette Mc Alary returned answers to the questionnaire, but after results were compiled.
3. Sharon Mosler gets an unreserved apology for a misinterpretation: her 10-year vision included 'sports club houses surrounded by trees and shrubs'.

ACC results give the State Government no room to movePresident of the Adelaide Park Lands Preservation Assoc Inc in 2007, Mr Jim Daly, said the Adelaide City Council election results sent a clear message to the State Government that there should be no commercial development in Victoria Park.

Prior to the election, ACC candidates were surveyed by APPA to reveal their attitudes to the proposed complex in Victoria Park. Thirty-two of the 44 candidates responded to the survey. Of those 32 respondents, 21 said they were against the so-called 'grandstand' in Victoria Park.

Nine of the 12 newly elected members of the ACC said that, if elected, they would not support the State Government’s corporate entertainment complex for commercial motor racing and horse racing interests at Victoria Park.

Only Lord Mayor Harbison and Richard Hayward still supported the proposal, according to the survey results. Francis Wong did not respond to the APPA survey.

Mr Daly called on Premier Rann to honour his 2002 and 2006 election promises to protect the Adelaide Park Lands from permanent commercial developments, and to return to Labor’s pledge to seek State, National and World Heritage listing for Adelaide’s unique greenbelt.

Mr Daly said: 'The Government should accept and acknowledge what is a categorical and a fully democratic rejection of the Victoria Park development proposal and allow the elected councillors to carry on the business of the ACC for the benefit of residents, business and all South Australians'.

STATE GOVERNMENT BACKS DOWN AND SAJC WALKS OUT
On 6 December 2007, the State Government said it would no longer push for a permanent corporate facility but would replace existing temporary facilities for motor racing with new temporary facilities, but at the same time emphasising the supposed extra cost and time of building and dismantling. On 29 February 2008, the SAJC announced it was vacating Victoria Park and building a second track at Morphettville.

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