A push by the Local Government Authority for inner rim councils to be formally represented on the Adelaide Park Lands Management Board looks set to be rejected by the Adelaide City Council.

“The inner rim councils want more of a say on what happens given they abut the park lands and currently they don’t have easy mechanism to have a say,” LGA president David O’Loughlin told InDaily.

The ACC will tomorrow night recommend the authority maintain the status quo at a special meeting of the Park Lands Authority to respond to the letter of request from the LGA.

“The Adelaide Park Lands Act 2005 provides for the management of the Park Lands for ‘all South Australians’, which is why the report (on the matter going to APLA tomorrow night) is not recommending the representation of the adjoining councils,” a Council spokesperson said in a statement.

O’Loughlin, who is also mayor of Prospect, said the LGA would now go to the Environment Minister, Ian Hunter, to push its case to be “part of the park lands future in a more formal way”.

The move followed a public call for formal representation from the inner rim mayors earlier this year in InDaily, as well as a push from former Integrated Design Commissioner Tim Horton.

At its general meeting in April, the LGA moved a motion to investigate “whether there is sufficient evidence and support across Local Government to lobby for a change to the Adelaide Park Lands Act 2005 to include a local government representative from an inner rim Council on the Adelaide Park Lands Authority Board of Management”.

O’Loughlin said he would like to see formal representation of up to three inner rim council members on the park lands authority, a move which would change the make-up of the board.

“The [Adelaide City Council] have a contrary view to the LGA, which has requested inner rim has a greater representation,” he said.

“There are many boards on expertise there are also board comprised of representatives that seek expert input from staff when needed.”

The Park Lands Authority is currently made up of the Lord Mayor, four Adelaide City Councillors and five experts as chosen by the Minister.

In its recommendations the authority notes that while it supports broad representation, there is already a mechanism for inner rim councillors to be on the board, if they hold relevant expertise.

It also states the council holds an “inclusive, partnership approach” in its approach to park lands strategy, policy and projects.

O’Loughlin said the motion moved by the LGA conference showed a conflict between the city and inner rim councils.

“Have they got broad participation? They only have one council represented on the board,” he said.

“I think the LGA response would indicate the membership is not convinced of [the inclusive, partnership approach] as if they were, they wouldn’t have put the motion up.”

O’Loughlin said while the Adelaide City Council did not have the power to change the Act, it could have written to the Minister to request a change.

“What they are doing is reinforcing their existing terms of reference and stating within their charter they don’t have the authority to appoint other council members and the criteria for minister to appoint other members is expertise based rather than representation based and they are standing by that.”

O’Loughlin said inner rim councils were “did not speak against providing financial input”, but that would be discussed at a later stage.

The Minister will consider the LGA’s proposal when contacted by the authority.

Do you think the inner rim councils deserve to be represented on the Park Lands Authority? Tell us at [email protected].