If you Love Your Park Lands, like we do, you might occasionally hear criticism from people who have latched onto a Park Lands myth.

In this article, we’re MYTH-BUSTING the claim that there’s plenty of Park Lands to spare. Some people tell us: “Look at all the open spaces. It doesn’t matter if just a little bit is built upon.”

Here are the facts.

Approximately 25% of the land originally dedicated to your Open Green Public Adelaide Park Lands has been lost or “alienated” from the public since Colonel Light originally allocated 930 hectares. 

This includes 150 hectares that was lost almost immediately to 'Government Reserves' which brought your Park Lands back to about 780 hectares.  Even if we disregard that initial loss, you have lost a further 80 hectares or so, over time, so that now, only around 700 hectares remain.

The loss of those 80 hectares since 1837 means that on average, you have been losing an average of 4,500 square metres annually.  That's the size of about 7.6 tennis courts, on average, every year,   Chipping away at the Park Lands occurs gradually, in small chunks; e.g. just a pathway, just a small fenced-off area, just an extension of a building, lost to a variety special interests.  They all add up.

There are literally hundreds of buildings dotted around Adelaide on what was formerly your Open, Green Public Park Land.

Many people don't even realise that the Park Lands are under threat.  They look around and see the 700 hectares or so that remain.   Yes, what remains is crucially important to protect, but too few people can visualise the Park Lands that were lost last century, last decade, or even last month. 

Once a site is lost, people tend to forget that it was ever part of the Park Lands.  And so it goes, year after year. 

Adelaide ranks second lowest among Australian capital cities in the amount of urban green space available per person.

What’s more, your Adelaide Park Lands make up only 0.2% of the Adelaide metropolitan area.

So there is certainly not “plenty to spare”.

See the other Park Lands Myth Busters https://www.adelaide-parklands.asn.au/myth-busters