MotoGP track will 'irrevocably' change parklands, Adelaide mayor says

MotoGP track design's imminent release prompts warning about Adelaide parklands impact In short: The proposed design of the Adelaide street circuit that will host the Australian MotoGP from 2027 will be publicly released in the coming weeks. Lord Mayor Jane Lomax-Smith has warned that the project will "irrevocably and permanently" change the city's parklands. Premier Peter Malinauskas says he wants to see the design released as soon as possible. Adelaide's lord mayor has warned that the city's parklands will be changed "irrevocably and permanently" by the MotoGP. The proposed street circuit design will be released in the coming weeks and construction on the track is due to begin in December. The Australian MotoGP will be held in Adelaide from November 2027 after the South Australian government nabbed the event from Victoria earlier this year. But there have been concerns about the project, which will require the removal of at least 45 significant trees. Adelaide Lord Mayor Jane Lomax-Smith said it was important that the community be given sufficient opportunity to provide feedback. "I think it's important to recognise that the landscape that we all know and love is going to change irrevocably and permanently," she said. "Therefore, it's really important that everyone has a chance to look at this design and this project and have their say." South East City Residents Association treasurer Doug McEvoy said his group was most concerned by environmental impacts from the project. He spearheaded a letter to the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme, the global governing body, arguing that its environmental guidelines were not being upheld. Dr McEvoy said the group was supportive of major events, including the MotoGP, but "this is the wrong place for a motorcycle race". "People are actually very attached to the nature in the parks — they want to keep it and they don't want it to be destroyed by more tarmac and noise that's going to take out birds in the breeding season," he said. Dr McEvoy said it was "naive" to argue that significant trees slated for removal could be replaced by saplings. "It takes decades for saplings to grow to the point that they can be unique ecosystems in their own right," he said. A public petition to "stop the chop" — which calls on the SA government to reverse its position on projects including the North Adelaide Golf Course redevelopment and the MotoGP — has attracted more than 28,000 signatures. Bike group backs city circuit Motorcycle Alliance of South Australia chair Heath Norris said the city track was crucial to the success of the MotoGP. He said holding the race in Adelaide was a better option than at The Bend Motorsport Park at Tailem Bend, 100 kilometres from the CBD. "It's a more central location, more accommodation, easy to get to, more Ubers," Mr Norris said. "If it's out at The Bend, there's limited transport, limited accommodation. "Nothing wrong with The Bend, but a more central location means that more people can enjoy it." Premier Peter Malinauskas said the government was working to release the plans and total cost of the project as soon as possible. The total number of trees set to be removed will also be revealed. "The sooner we can get that into the public realm the better, as far as I'm concerned, because we have got tight timelines," Mr Malinauskas said. In May the designer of the Adelaide street track that hosted the first Australian Grand Prix in 1985, Bob Barnard, estimated it could cost more than $100 million to remodel the course to host the Australian MotoGP. At the time, Mr Malinauskas said there had not been "any suggestion" of a $100 million bill.