South Australia government unveils $96 million Adelaide MotoGP street circuit plan with environmental commitments and community benefits

Headline announcements have a habit of overshadowing, if not totally obscuring, finer details, and the future of the Australian MotoGP has been no exception.

On Sunday, the SA government released its long-awaited plan for the design of a $96 million Adelaide street circuit set to host the race from 2027 — a development that will involve the cutting down of nearly 400 trees to make way for the new track.

The announcement came amid environmental acrimony. The government is currently facing protests and a federal court challenge over its actions in another part of the Adelaide parklands to redevelop the North Adelaide Golf Course.

But the MotoGP project will be about more than the track and the trees — the government is promising what amounts to a sweeping upgrade of the areas around Victoria Park in Adelaide's eastern parklands.

Here's a look at the plan that is currently out for community consultation.

Canopy and habitat

Of all the ramifications of the MotoGP project, the impact on the environment is perhaps the most politically sensitive.

But the government has been keen to spruik what it has described as a "nature-positive outcome" and has promised to plant many more trees than it removes, "meaning a net increase of at least 3,393 trees".

It has also committed to a $15 million environmental spend on "greening, rewilding and revitalising projects to restore habitat and strengthen biodiversity".

Those projects will include work to reduce pollution entering the River Torrens and to support wildlife such as local butterfly populations.

Asked about how soon the works would be completed, SA Premier Peter Malinauskas spoke of "the next few years".

"We've got a timeline that we want to work within in terms of the release of that funding," he said.

"There'll be capacity constraints about when some projects will be delivered.

"Some of the projects will require a fair bit of design work around the stormwater work that we're doing … to be able to help grow the tree canopy at a faster rate than what otherwise [would be] the case."

Grey-headed flying foxes — which are prone to summer heat stress — will get improved cooling infrastructure and habitat regeneration.

Bat Rescue SA's fundraising coordinator, Judith Bemmer, welcomed the commitment, but also expressed concern about habitat loss as a result of the removal of trees.

"We're worried that there's the potential for starvation of the baby bats, because they won't have some of those trees to fly out to," she said.

"Having said that, the trees close in to the parklands, where their colony is, and the fig trees are all still there.

"We're very hopeful that in the future, as these other trees mature, it will provide both cover and forage for these bats."

Mr Malinauskas said environmental works would also include steps to contribute to platypus rewilding efforts in the Torrens by ecology group Green Adelaide.

"We are putting funding in place to accelerate that work and get it done. There is a bit of work that is required here," he said.

Adelaide Park Lands Association president Mat Monti said that, on their own, tree planting, revegetation and environmental investment were commendable — but that, when coupled with tree removal, they amounted to "greenwashing".

"We don't want them to do it just to excuse the destruction of the eastern parklands for MotoGP," they said.

Fringe benefits

The design for the new street circuit will see MotoGP bikes race along Rundle Road, between Rymill and Rundle parks.

During Adelaide's so-called Mad March festival season, those parks are occupied by Fringe venues Gluttony and The Garden of Unearthly Delights.

The government said the venues stood to gain from the redevelopment works, through upgrades to water, electricity and sewerage infrastructure.

"When Fringe and Gluttony set up down in the East End around Rymill Park, there is often temporary infrastructure they have to bring in at substantial cost," Mr Malinauskas said.

"If we can put some permanent infrastructure in the ground, that makes it easier for them to set up and pack down."

Sport and recreation

The main part of the MotoGP circuit will be in Victoria Park, which currently hosts Adelaide's Supercars races and formerly hosted the F1 Grand Prix.

The heritage grandstand in the park — a hangover from its time as a horseracing venue — will be closer to the race, thanks to a track redesign involving a revised turn-off from Wakefield Road.

But the government is also promising other works in Victoria Park for community benefit, such as an upgraded soccer field, with lighting, and community space near the grandstand.

It said there would be new running tracks through the eastern parklands, including a 2-kilometre loop in Victoria Park itself.

It also said there would "potentially" be a new skate park and playing courts near Fullarton Road.

"They could be pickleball courts, they could be basketball courts, they could be netball courts," SA Motor Sport Board chief executive Mark Warren told a parliamentary inquiry on Monday.

A new water jump will be installed for the Adelaide Equestrian Festival — an annual three-day horse trials event and Olympic qualifier held in the eastern parklands.

"This will give our event a bit of a boost because we won't now have to fund it ourselves, which is great news," board member Karlene Maywald said.

"We're also working closely with the Motor Sport Board and the government to ensure we can deliver our event next April."

Pedal power

Several of the elements of the new design relate to cycling — including plans for the Tour Down Under.

The government said the Victoria Park circuit would be hosting the return of the Tour Down Under classic, a pre-tour street race, from 2028.

The Motor Sport Board said a new 1.2-kilometre criterium loop would provide space for cycling races and Pedal Prix events.

"That's quite critical because right now the criterium loop that exists has a crossover between park users," Mr Warren said.

"It was important to, in the design, look at how we can have an unobstructed cycling criterium loop, and we believe the current design as it's been put out for consultation will achieve some of that. There's been some discussion already with cycling clubs."

There are also plans for new shared-use paths, and a pedestrian and cyclist refuge on Wakefield Road.

Consultation on the plans is open until September 20.