Key facts
- Adelaide Airport removed advertisements from conservation groups including the Murray-Darling Conservation Alliance, Bob Brown Foundation, and Adelaide Park Lands Association.
- The airport cited its guidelines on political advertising as the reason for removing the conservation ads.
- Advertisements from Santos, the Minerals Council of Australia, and Independent Schools Australia, as well as a 'Australia runs on natural gas' campaign, were initially allowed to continue running.
- The 'Australia runs on natural gas' ad has since also been stopped.
- The airport stated that advertisements not meeting its guidelines would be removed.
Adelaide Airport has drawn criticism for removing advertisements from conservation groups while allowing promotions for gas and mining companies to continue running during the national conference of the Australian Labor Party (ALP). Conservation organizations, including the Murray-Darling Conservation Alliance (MDCA), the Bob Brown Foundation, and the Adelaide Park Lands Association, reported that their ads were either pulled or blocked, with the airport citing rules against political advertising.
MDCA stated its "Save the Murray" ad, which was contracted to run until July 26, disappeared on July 22. The alliance was informed by the advertising agency JCDecaux that the airport deemed the ad "too political." Pictures provided by MDCA showed ads from Santos, the Minerals Council of Australia, and Independent Schools Australia still running. An ad for the "Australia runs on natural gas" campaign, which includes a political authorization from Samantha McCulloch, chief executive of Australian Energy Producers, was also seen, though it has since reportedly been stopped.
The Adelaide Park Lands Association reported its "Stop the Chop" campaign ad was declined for a billboard on the main airport exit. Mat Monti, president of the association, commented that "Corporate interest is trumping community interest."
The Bob Brown Foundation also had ads removed, with one stating "The majority of Australians want an end to native forest logging" being pulled from four locations. JCDecaux informed the foundation that the airport, as the landowner, had the final decision on what content runs.
Bob Brown described the airport's actions as "Trump-lite behaviour" and urged Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to insist on the reinstatement of the environmental and social outcome-focused ads. A spokesperson for Adelaide Airport confirmed that advertisements not meeting their guidelines relating to political content would be removed.