FATE OF ADELAIDE STREET CIRCUIT COULD BE DECIDED TOMORROW

The future of the legendary Adelaide Parklands Circuit is in doubt as councillors within South Australia are set to debate whether to rip up the circuit.

A circuit that has hosted motorsport since the first championship Australian Grand Prix in 1985, the venue hosted 11 Formula 1 races and 22 Adelaide 500 events may decide its fate in just over 24 hours.

Although a majority of the 3.2km Adelaide 500 and 3.78km Formula 1 layouts take place on the city streets, around 1km takes place on the permanent parklands section.

However, Adelaide City councillor Greg Mackie has suggested this be ripped up as it has become an “urban heat island,” particularly during the summer months.

Mackie is backing a residents’ group which wants the track to be torn apart and is after the support from the Adelaide City Council.

The subject is on the agenda for tomorrow’s meeting in which he will push for a majority of the circuit to be ripped up and replaced with trees and shrubs.

Since the venue was last used for Motorsport, the Adelaide 500 in March last year, premier Steven Marshall elected to axe the Hall of Fame event.

Despite this the South Australian opposition leader Peter Malinauskas has promised to bring back both the Adelaide 500 and Adelaide Motorsport Festival if he is elected into power next year.

With motor racing still on the cards Mackie’s proposal seems premature, particularly as the venue is currently South Australia’s largest COVID-19 drive-through testing site.

The fate of the venue will be discussed in a council meeting tomorrow night.

A survey on the Adelaide Now website sees that 80% of people want the circuit to stay, while only 20% want it torn up.

Currently, just south of the final turn a large wetland is being built as part of the Brown Hill Creek-Keswick Creek flood mitigation scheme.

This was formally one of the main car parks for spectators, with easy access into the circuit.

Hundreds of native trees and shrubs planted in the wetlands area with the future of the track now under consideration.

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