Adelaide begins felling trees for MotoGP street circuit

Work has begun in Adelaide's eastern Park Lands to remove centuries-old trees for the street circuit that will host MotoGP in November 2027. The 96-million-dollar project began its tree felling at around 6 a.m., and around twenty police officers were present to remove protesters who had gathered to try to stop it. Some protesters climbed trees during the work under the slogan "stop the chop".

Protests and legal challenges had already been made in recent months. The state government approved the work in early October under the South Australian Motor Sport Act. An open letter titled "The lungs of the city" has gathered almost 5,000 signatures, including Dev Patel, Sia, Matt Preston and Poh Ling Yeow.

Premier Peter Malinauskas has pointed to a 15-million-dollar "Nature Positive Package" and a pledge to plant ten trees for every one felled. A lawsuit from the South East Residents Association, which argues the government lacks authority to cut trees in public parks, remains before the courts.