The Upper House yesterday passed the Heritage Places (Adelaide Park Lands) Amendment Bill 2022 which would alter South Australia’s heritage and planning acts to include the city’s green belt as a state heritage area.

It would also require the South Australian Heritage Council to update the state heritage register to reflect the park lands’ inclusion.

The legislation, introduced by Greens MLC Robert Simms, first passed the Upper House in February with the support of both the former Labor Opposition and Marshall Liberal Government.

The Bill was not voted on in the Lower House before parliament was suspended for the March state election – forcing Simms to re-introduce the legislation in May.

The Liberal Party and SA-Best reiterated their support for the legislation on Thursday and the Bill passed the Upper House for a second time without requiring a division.

But the legislation is set to fail in the Lower House because the Malinauskas Government has indicated it now opposes the Bill.

Attorney-General Kyam Maher told parliament that while the government “do agree with the sentiment of this Bill, we will be opposing it as this is not the preferred approach for creating state heritage areas”.

“In the government’s view, it fails to recognise the roles of the South Australian Heritage Council and the planning minister,” he said.

“The Bill seeks to simplify the process for creating state heritage areas but does not include the assessment and approval of the Heritage Council and the planning minister, any public consultation, the preparation of the statement of significance outlining the area’s heritage value, the city layout as part of the state heritage area, and does not replicate the national heritage listing.

“While we appreciate the intent of the honourable member’s Bill, we won’t be supporting it for those reasons.”

Maher’s comments to parliament on Thursday contrast with the Labor Party’s stated position on the Bill before the election.

Speaking for the then-Opposition on February 8, Labor MLC Emily Bourke told the Upper House: “It is the diversity of the natural and built landscape of the park lands that makes them a place for everyone, a place that must be identified and recognised.”

“The bill before us today (February 8) seeks to do just that. The bill seeks to amend the Heritage Places Act and recognises the Adelaide park lands as a state heritage area.

“While I have several questions I want to ask during the committee stage, I would like to confirm that the opposition will support this bill, with the proviso that further consultation is considered and undertaken.”

Simms said Labor’s change of position was “disappointing” and he would be launching a campaign urging constituents to write to the Premier asking the government to reconsider.

“Back in February, every political party in this place supported state heritage listing for the Adelaide parklands,” Simms told the Upper House on Thursday.

“What has changed? They won the seat of Adelaide and now they’re taking it for granted.

“I can tell you there were lots of people… that supported the Labor Party in the seat of Adelaide because they were aghast at the Liberals’ management of the park lands and contempt for our public green space.

“Yet what have they got from the new Labor government? They’ve got more of the same.”

Labor’s new position on the park lands heritage Bill comes after the state government tabled legislation yesterday designed to expedite the planning process for the $3 billion new Women’s and Children’s Hospital – slated for construction on the Thebarton police barracks and surrounding park lands.

The legislation reveals the state government is considering acquiring additional park lands space to house SA Police’s Mounted Operations Unit, which is currently located at the Thebarton barracks.

SA-Best MLC Connie Bonaros said the state government’s decision to relocate the Women’s and Children’s Hospital posed “competing interests” with the park lands heritage push.

“I’m not going to sugar coat it, there’s a huge elephant in the room, and that elephant is the government’s proposal for a new Women’s and Children’s Hospital on the site of the Thebarton police barracks,” she told parliament yesterday.

“It doesn’t take much to see the competing interests here from where I sit.”

Liberal MLC and Opposition planning spokesperson Michelle Lensink said the implications of Simms’ park lands heritage bill had not changed since the state election.

“The implications for the Adelaide park lands and CBD layout being afforded protection as a state heritage area are the same as when we considered these last year,” she told parliament.

“We are disappointed that the Labor Party in government has chosen to renege on their support for the Bill.”

The Adelaide park lands received national heritage listing in 2008. The City of Adelaide has also worked towards the green belt receiving world heritage listing.