Work on Adelaide’s new MotoGP street circuit has entered its tree-felling phase, with the first removals taking place on Friday in the city’s Park Lands. Police were present as dozens of protesters gathered to oppose the changes needed for the project.

The planned modifications to the existing street track require 377 trees to be removed. The South Australian Government says the majority are unregulated or invasive species, dead, or in poor health. The group also includes 42 trees classified as significant, while 88 others are earmarked for transplantation to nearby locations. Friday’s initial work involved four trees.

A replacement programme and a growing backlash

The project has a budget of AUD 96 million and includes temporary run-off areas. Adelaide is scheduled to host its first MotoGP event from 12 to 14 November 2027. The South Australian Government says it will plant more than 3,000 new trees, applying a replacement ratio of 10 trees for every tree removed.

Opposition has been organised through the “Lungs of the City” campaign, which launched an open letter addressed to Premier Peter Malinauskas and the South Australian Government. The letter calls for the removals to stop and argues that the Park Lands are central to Adelaide’s identity, providing carbon absorption, biodiversity and cleaner air while also supporting music, culture and community life.

The campaign also argues that saplings cannot quickly recreate the shade, canopy and ecological value of established trees. It points to a separate petition seeking protection for the Park Lands, which had attracted 80,000 signatures. The open letter itself had collected 6,500 signatures at the time of the campaign’s launch. Its central position is that Adelaide should be able to host major sporting and cultural events without sacrificing a natural and cultural site regarded as belonging to the whole community.