SA Government Push Ahead with LIV Golf Plans at North Adelaide, Council Bypassed

The South Australian Government has introduced legislation to fast-track the North Adelaide Golf Course redevelopment, sidelining local council input.

The South Australian Government has introduced new legislation to fast-track the redevelopment of the North Adelaide Golf Course, positioning it as the future home of LIV Golf in Australia.

The proposed changes include a redesign of the public course by Greg Norman Golf Course Design, with the goal of hosting international events by 2028. The legislation is intended to provide planning certainty and streamline the approval process, bypassing standard local government procedures.

This legislative move has effectively removed the Adelaide City Council from key planning responsibilities. The council, which owns the land, was not formally consulted prior to the announcement. Several councillors have since voiced concern over the lack of engagement, noting that they were informed only shortly before the public release.

In Daily’s Helen Karakulak reported that South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas understood the disappointed from local council.

“I don’t want to diminish the fact that you know, council leadership, particularly the Lord Mayor and the Chief Executive Officer, have actually tried to work out if we can find a way to get it done in the time that we need to, and it just appears as though we won’t be able to do that, we’ll fall short of the mark,” he said.

“This will disappoint them, and I get that because there has been genuine effort, and I am grateful to them.”

These developments follow earlier concerns raised by members of the South Australian golf community, including in a previous article on this site, which called for caution and transparency in balancing public access with commercial investment.

Public Golf Meets LIV Investment: Rethinking North Adelaide’s Upgrade

The government has assumed key planning responsibilities to ensure the project proceeds on schedule, citing the economic and tourism benefits of hosting LIV Golf events.

The redevelopment will retain public access to the course and include environmental commitments such as tree replacement and improved public trails. However, the legislation centralises decision-making at the state level, reducing the council’s influence over land use and project oversight.

The government has stated that cultural heritage protections will remain in place, with no ground-disturbing works to occur without appropriate consultation with the Kaurna people.

While the full cost of the redevelopment has not yet been disclosed, the Premier has indicated that financial details will be included in the upcoming state budget.

While the project is being framed as a long-term investment in South Australia’s sporting infrastructure, the lack of transparency and competitive tender process within the government-backed project is concerning.