12 February 2026
Greens announce plan to dump North Adelaide Golf Course redevelopment and fund free ambulance cover for SA pensioners and concession holders
The Greens have announced their plan to axe Labor’s multimillion dollar LIV Golf Course Redevelopment and use the money to fund free ambulance cover for South Australian pensioners and concession holders. The party also say Labor must come clean on the real costs of hosting LIV.
Key facts:
- Labor’s golf course development plan has been budgeted at $45 million, although some reports and early discussions indicated potential costs up to $50 million or higher.
- The Greens estimate that the Government could offer free coverage for those on the Full Age Pension, as well as others receiving the Cost-of-Living Concession, at a cost of approximately $55m over 4 years (Pensioner Concession Single ambulance cover is $61.50).
- The current cost of an emergency ambulance service is $1,207, plus a per kilometre fee of $6.90 — more than the fortnightly rate for a single full Age Pension.
- South Australia is now the last remaining jurisdiction in the nation not to provide free ambulances to those on a full age pension.
- The costs of publicising and staging LIV golf are subject to ‘commercial in confidence’ and not be shared by the Government
- Council on the Aging (COTA) SA called for free ambulance services for full age pensioners in its election platform released this week. Last year the Upper House has backed a Greens motion calling on the Malinauskas Government to make ambulance cover free for full Age Pensioners in the state budget.
Quotes attributable to Robert Simms MLC
“Back in 2022 Labor campaigned for ‘Hospitals, not Basketball Stadiums,’ yet four years later they are prioritising a golf course redevelopment over ambulance cover for some of SA’s most vulnerable. They really have more front than John Martin’s. It’s rank hypocrisy to rally against a basketball stadium one day and sink millions into a lavish golf course the next.”
“This LIV golf vanity project shouldn’t be a priority in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis. The Greens are announcing our plan to dump the costly redevelopment of the North Adelaide Golf Course and use the savings to provide free ambulance cover to SA pensioners and concession holders. We urge Labor and the Liberals to match it. South Australians who are struggling shouldn’t be stung with astronomical fees simply for calling an ambulance and SA is the only state in the country that doesn’t offer any form of free ambulance cover.”
“With LIV golf teeing off today, we are also urging the Premier to come clean on the true costs of hosting this event. The Greens have long been opposed to this event given its association with the Saudi Sovereign Wealth Fund and the appalling human rights record of that regime. The Government continues to use commercial in confidence arrangements to shield the costs from taxpayers. How much is spent on promotion and how much is being spend on staging? South Australian taxpayers are footing the bill; they deserve to know the cost.”