Foosil fuel ad ban could 'jeopardise' TDU village, SA government says

The SA government has slammed a council ban on fossil fuel advertising in Adelaide's CBD, saying it could "jeopardise" a major element of the Santos-sponsored Tour Down Under (TDU) cycling race.

Adelaide's Deputy Lord Mayor Keiran Snape put forward a motion on Tuesday evening to ban oil, coal and gas companies from any advertising in council-owned public spaces including bus stops, banners and billboards.

The decision was approved by vote, with five councillors in favour and four against.

"We want to take climate change seriously, if the City of Adelaide wants to take climate change seriously, the policies must align," Mr Snape told ABC News ahead of the meeting on Tuesday night.

The council, which previously declared a climate emergency in 2019, is working towards halving its 2020 carbon emissions by 2030.

The ban will be implemented on July 1, 2027, and the motion stated that there would be a "transitionary period" for businesses currently advertising with the council within a specific time period, which is currently unknown.

'Hypocrisy' of the ban

Oil and gas companies BHP and Santos have offices in the Adelaide CBD, while the latter sponsors Australia's biggest cycling race, the TDU, which is held in the city in January every year.

Mr Snape said once the ban came into effect, the TDU would not be able to place advertising for gas giant Santos in the CBD as part of the event but that can be overturned by the state government.

An SA government spokesperson said the decision threatened the TDU Tour Village — which is hosted in Victoria Square in the heart of the CBD.

"This will significantly impact businesses in the CBD that stood to benefit from the 70,000 plus visitors which the village attracted during this year's event.

"The Lord Mayor was right to point out the hypocrisy of this motion at a time when council acknowledges it is failing to adequately deliver on its own climate policies."

During Tuesday's night council meeting, Lord Mayor Jane Lomax-Smith said major sponsorships were difficult to obtain.

"I fear if we try to encourage the state to remove Santos fundraising or sponsorship or signage, there is a fair chance we will remove sponsorships on our the streets," she said.

SA Environment Minister Emily Bourke last week backed in Santos sponsorship for the TDU and said it had enabled women to have equal pay.

"Through their sponsorship they are able to elevate the sporting event to a new standard and take it into being seen as the best sporting event in Australia, to tell our states story and give equal pay to men and women to compete in the same race," Ms Bourke said.

Councillor Alfredo Cabada, who voted against the motion, said it went against the council's plan to grow the city.

"If one of this company sponsors a sporting event, the banners go up anyway. We would be pushing away some of the city's biggest employers and put the council at legal risk," Mr Cabada said.

"The best to get the companies to get with cleaner energy is to work with them, not shut them out."

Ms Lomax-Smith said if the council wanted to be a leader in tackling climate change, bans on advertising fell well short.

"This council doesn't do enough in its emission and at changing its own behaviour," she said.

The motion also bans councillors from accepting any hospitality offerings where an oil, gas and coal company is a sponsor.

In the City of Adelaide's annual report, several councillors including the Lord Mayor accepted more than $3,000 worth of complimentary tickets during the Tour Down Under last year.

The ABC has contacted Santos and the Tour Down Under for a response.