Adjudication No. 1448  (adjudicated December 2009)

The Australian Press Council has dismissed a complaint made by Trevor Farrant against The Sunday Mail, Adelaide, over publication of an article on July 12, 2009 and a related letter, authored by Dr Ed McAlister, on July 26, 2009.

The article, headed "Disgust" after zoo trees felled, concerned the removal of six trees by the Adelaide Botanic Gardens as part of a redevelopment of the Adelaide Zoo.

Mr Farrant complained that the article contained inaccuracies that were left uncorrected once brought to the paper's attention. Much of Mr Farrant's assertion of inaccuracy is connected with his belief that the development approval for tree removal was granted erroneously, if not unlawfully. However, this opinion represents only one perspective of an apparently contentious issue and Mr Farrant was unable to establish that any material point was factually inaccurate. The article was fair and balanced in reporting the various views of the affected parties and the process followed in obtaining development approval, notwithstanding that it failed to address wider issues related to the Zoo redevelopment.

As to Mr Farrant's complaint of inaccuracy regarding the origins of the pine trees, the article states "it has been suggested" that the trees were planted by the Salvation Army and does not convey this detail as a factual certainty. The paper openly disclosed that it had been unable to establish the origins of the trees. The paper published Dr McAlister's letter a fortnight later stating that the pine trees have no connection with the Salvation Army.

In relation to the letter, Mr Farrant complained that the paper erred in failing to disclose that the letter-writer, Dr McAlister, was previously employed by the Adelaide Zoo. The Council agrees that people should be identified where relevant, and known to the newspaper. In this case, it would have been better had Dr McAlister's previous affiliation been noted, but the Council does not believe that this omission was sufficient to uphold a complaint.

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