Public servant to take SA government to court over golf course redevelopment

Edwin Kemp Attrill poses in the Adelaide Parklands. (Supplied: Edwin Kemp Attrill)

The state government has almost finished cutting down almost 600 trees to redevelop the North Adelaide Golf Course.

Edwin Kemp Attrill opposes the development on heritage and environmental grounds.

His lawyer plans to lodge an injunction against the development in the Federal Court this week.

A South Australian public servant is taking the state government to court, alleging it failed to properly refer the controversial North Adelaide Golf Course to the federal environment minister for approval.

Edwin Kemp Attrill's lawyer plans to lodge an injunction in the Federal Court this week which will call for the work to come to a halt.

SA Premier Peter Malinauskas said almost all of the 585 trees that were set to be removed from the Adelaide Parklands to make the golf course up to standard for LIV Golf and the Australian Open had already been removed.

Some trees are yet to be removed for a new driving range at the golf course.

On Monday morning, Mr Kemp Attrill told 891 ABC Adelaide a judge who agreed to apply an injunction could order all works to cease immediately at the golf course and instead refer the project to Federal Environment Minister Murray Watt for him to approve or reject.

An excavator grabs a felled tree at the North Adelaide Golf Course. (ABC News: Carl Saville)

Mr Kemp Attrill said the state government should have referred the development to Mr Watt if there was a likelihood the work would impact on national heritage or environmental values of the site, because of the its place on the National Heritage List.

"This is a genuine legal question utilising the separation of powers to say this government is not above the law and this continual erosion of the parklands needs to stop," he said.

The state government announced last February that LIV Golf tournament would move to the North Adelaide Golf Course in 2028.

Legislation passed last June to put that part of the parklands under government control and on May 11 this year work started to move the trees needed for the golf course's redesign.

A concept design for the $45 million redevelopment of the North Adelaide Golf Course released last December. (Supplied: SA government)

Mr Kemp Attrill said it was only then, when he saw trees being cut down while he was walking in the parklands, that he became aware of the project and its impact.

Hundreds of protesters gathered on the steps of Parliament House on May 13. (ABC News: Briana Fiore)

Mr Kemp Attrill is being represented by lawyer Ted Hui, a former pro-