Seventy-eight-year-old granny Mij Tanith, who was arrested and charged with trespass after entering the North Adelaide Golf Course site during a protest, said she was “gutted” to see the “destruction” of trees and wildlife for its redevelopment.
Protesters have been angered by 585 trees being felled for the $45 million golf course redevelopment on the Adelaide Park Lands in North Adelaide, with some of those opposed holding another protest over the weekend. A petition objecting to the plan has now amassed 47,468 signatures.
Premier Peter Malinauskas said that three trees would be planted for every mature-aged tree felled in Possum Park, but Tanith, who was recognised as the City of Adelaide’s Citizen of the Year in 2025 for her refugee advocacy, had a blunt message for Malinauskas after he labelled arrested protesters “a ragtag group of extremists”.
“Who… are you calling a ragtag extremist?” Tanith, who recently authored the book Laila’s Story about an Afghan refugee, said.
“I’m pretty conservative in that I actively work for the conservation of our green spaces.”
Tanith said it was a spur-of-the-moment decision when she and “a number of other nannies with their walkers” entered the North Adelaide golf course site.
“I did it because of that spur-of-the-moment opportunity. I wanted to lay my body on the line for this cause because that’s how strongly I feel about it,” Tanith, who was arrested and later charged with trespass, said.
“I’m objecting passionately to what’s going on in Possum Park, but I’m also really aware of the eroding of democracy with this Malinauskas government – he’s not listening to the people; he’s catering to the sports fans and the elite.
“So, I would say that far from the protesters being the extremists, I think Malinauskas himself is the most extreme player in this whole sad, sorry saga.”