The Malinauskas government’s decision to proceed with its $50 million North Adelaide golf course redevelopment under “strict” Aboriginal heritage conditions has sparked debate within the Kaurna community.
The government is pursuing an upgrade of the North Adelaide public golf course in the city’s parklands to prepare it for LIV Golf in 2028.
Parts of the site, particularly the par three course adjacent the River Torrens, have Aboriginal heritage significance as a former meeting place, ceremony location and government Aboriginal mission.
On Friday, Aboriginal Affairs Minister Kyam Maher confirmed he would impose 31 “strict” conditions on the redevelopment of the north and the south 18-hole courses under the Aboriginal Heritage Act.
The government has committed to releasing the North Adelaide golf course designs before the state election. (ABC News)
Among the conditions is that if Aboriginal remains or objects are discovered, the “preferred course of action” is to design around them, Mr Maher said.
If that’s not possible, the Department for Premier and Cabinet will negotiate with native title holders Kaurna Yerta Aboriginal Corporation (KYAC) about reburial.
Strict conditions imposed on future LIV Golf site
Mr Maher also designated North Adelaide’s par three course — located south of War Memorial Drive — a “protected area” where no major development can take place due to its cultural and spiritual significance.
But Kaurna elder Ian Carter called on the state government to “leave our heritage alone”.
“The Kaurna people that I speak to are very upset about it,” he said.
“They’re upset that the government knows that there’s a Kaurna history there and yet they’re just going to keep on going.”
Kaurna elder Ian Carter says the state government should “leave our heritage alone”. (ABC News)
Last year, Mr Carter criticised Mr Maher for allowing developers Walker Corporation to continue construction on its multi-billion dollar Riverlea housing estate after the discovery of Aboriginal remains.
Construction to resume at Riverlea in ‘bittersweet’ result
That approval came with similar conditions, including a requirement to establish a Kaurna Memorial Resting Place.
A year on from that Aboriginal heritage decision, the remains excavated at Riverlea are still in storage ahead of reburial, Mr Maher confirmed on Saturday.
Mr Carter said the Malinauskas government “has no respect for our history and … pay us lip service while they’re rubber-stamping development”.
“You would not like us … if we went to West Terrace Cemetery and started digging things up that we didn’t like on there,” he said.
“Why would you even suggest a golf course at Adelaide when the Grange [Golf Club] … has been dealing with this quite well?”
A history of disturbance
Mr Maher said given the history of Adelaide’s settlement, he could “completely understand” why Mr Carter opposed any Aboriginal remains being disturbed.
“The consequence of the capital city of this state being here is that Kaurna people have suffered more as a result of colonisation than many other people in terms of the disturbance of the land,” he said.
“We haven’t done it particularly well in decades and centuries gone by.”
Mr Maher, who is also the deputy premier, said it was not known whether Aboriginal remains will be discovered at the golf course and “that’s why these conditions are in place”.
Mr Maher says the government seeks to “respect beliefs and handle heritage as respectfully and thoughtfully as possible”. (ABC News)
Pressed on why the government was proceeding with the North Adelaide redevelopment given these concerns, Mr Maher argued it was impractical to prevent any and all impacts to Aboriginal heritage underground.
“To absolutely guarantee there’s no prospect of damaging any Aboriginal sites, objects or heritage, you would make sure that there was never any ground disturbance anywhere in this country,” he said.
“What we seek to do with these sorts of determinations is balance the quite rightful need to treat Kaurna heritage respectfully with where we are now in Australia.”
Asked about Mr Carter’s accusation that the Malinauskas government does not care about Indigenous heritage, Mr Maher said he was not going to conduct “a running dialogue through the media”.
“Certainly, I’ve had a lot of discussion with Kaurna elders — not just during this project but over many years — and we seek to respect beliefs and handle heritage as respectfully and thoughtfully as possible,” he said.
Asked whether there was division within the Kaurna community over the LIV Golf plans, Mr Maher said “I don’t think there is any group of people who have exactly the same idea all the time”.
‘It has caused some anxiety and stress’
Among those in the Kaurna community with a different perspective is Tim Agius.
Mr Agius, a member and former chair of KYAC, said the government’s decision to make the par three course a protected area was “great news for the Kaurna community”.
Former Kaurna Yerta Aboriginal Corporation chair Tim Agius welcomes the protection of the par three course. (ABC News: Brant Cumming)
“It certainly is good to hear that our ancestors won’t be disturbed in that particular area,” he said.
“It has caused some anxiety and stress and unhappiness with our mob, but this is good news to finally hear that those ancestors that have been in that significant area will not be disturbed.”
Asked if he had received any assurances about what would happen if remains were discovered at the 18-hole courses further north, Mr Agius said: “I’m pretty confident that the state government would stick to the current protocol that has been happening for the last 30-odd years.”
“What normally happens is … where remains have been discovered, they have been reburied as close as possible nearby to where they were discovered and in unmarked graves.”
The designs for the North Adelaide golf course, being drawn up by Greg Norman Golf Course Design, are yet to be released.
The North Adelaide par three course (pictured) is protected from redevelopment due to its cultural and spiritual significance. (ABC News)
Premier Peter Malinauskas has vowed to release the plans before the March 2026 state election.
LIV Golf Adelaide has been hosted at the Grange Golf Club since its inception in 2023 and will host again in 2026, before the event moves to Kooyonga Golf Club in 2027 and North Adelaide in 2028.
Adelaide has hosting rights for the Saudi-backed tour until 2031.
