As thousands of delegates descend upon Adelaide for the Australian Labor Party's (ALP) national conference, a controversy has erupted over the airport's handling of advertisements. The decision to pull environmental conservation ads while allowing promotional material from gas and mining companies to remain has sparked outrage among advocates, raising concerns about the influence of corporate interests on public spaces.
The Murray-Darling Conservation Alliance (MDCA), the Bob Brown Foundation, and the Adelaide Park Lands Association all reported that their advertisements had either been removed or blocked. The MDCA's 'Save the Murray' ad, which was contracted to run until 26 July, vanished from an electronic billboard by 22 July. Craig Wilkins, co-director of MDCA, stated that the advertising agency, JCDecaux, informed them the airport considered their ads 'too political'. He highlighted the continued presence of gas and mining adverts at the time of their removal.
Similarly, the Bob Brown Foundation, which had ads running across four locations from 20 July, was notified on 23 July that their campaign, which featured a call to end native forest logging, would be ceased. The foundation received a message from JCDecaux explaining that the removal was at the request of Adelaide Airport, which, as the landowner, holds the final decision on content. Bob Brown, the foundation's founder, strongly condemned the action, describing it as 'Trump-lite behaviour' and urged Prime Minister Albanese to intervene and ensure the reinstatement of these and other environmentally focused advertisements.
The Adelaide Park Lands Association also encountered issues, with their 'Stop the Chop' campaign ad, designed to protest tree removal around city parks, being declined last Friday for a billboard booked on the airport's main exit. Mat Monti, the association's president, expressed concern that 'corporate interest is trumping community interest' in the airport's advertising policies. Pictures shared by MDCA, reportedly taken after their ad was pulled, showed other ads from Santos, the Minerals Council of Australia, and Independent Schools Australia still in rotation.
A spokesperson for Adelaide Airport confirmed that it operates under 'guidelines relating to advertising on billboards and digital signage on its land that is political in nature'. They added that 'advertisements that do not meet these guidelines will be removed from our advertising signage'. While an ad featuring 'Australia runs on natural gas', linked to Australian Energy Producers, was initially visible, it is understood this particular advertisement has since also been stopped. The situation raises questions about the definition and application of 'political' advertising rules in public spaces, especially when juxtaposed with commercial messages from influential industries.