SA Premier pauses forced land acquisition of popular Mount Barker restaurant
The South Australian government has paused plans to acquire the site of popular Mount Barker restaurant Wok the Duck for a new $61 million primary school, following sustained community backlash.
More than a thousand residents rallied behind the family-run eatery after being told last week its land would be compulsorily acquired for the new school.
Premier Peter Malinauskas stepped in on Wednesday to personally review why the site had been chosen ahead of 16 alternative locations.
“I want to make sure that government bureaucracy hasn’t acted belligerently here,” he told 7News.
The pause follows an intense community campaign to save the venue. Owners David, Dan and Ebony said they received no warning before being told the land would be taken.
“They’re pretty much going to come in and take it, force a sale, and we’re going to have to leave one day,” David said last Friday.
The news came on Ebony’s birthday, after two years of the family investing everything into the business.
“I had a nine-month-old at the time, and we couldn’t get finance to do a business… so we sold our house,” Ebony said.
Less than 24 hours after owners were notified, the school project was publicly unveiled.
Education Minister Lucy Hood said last Thursday the new school would feature a room for 350 students.
Wok the Duck is regarded as one of Mount Barker’s most popular venues, hosting market nights and live music that draw crowds from surrounding estates in the fast-growing Hills region. David said the speed of the announcement compounded the family’s shock.
“It wasn’t even 24 hours before a press conference,” he said.
Mount Barker Mayor David Leach and independent MP Matt Schultz were both among the first to sign a petition against the chosen site, despite the project being celebrated publicly.
“I spoke to Matt Schultz the day before — he personally said to me that this is the wrong site,” Leach said.
Leach said he now believes the school and restaurant could coexist. Schultz has said he is "concerned" about the location and has requested an urgent meeting with the education minister to explore alternative sites or ways to keep Wok the Duck operating.
“I believe there is space and opportunity for both the new preschool and primary school to be developed without the need for the local family business to relocate,” he said.
The Premier has committed to meeting with the restaurant’s owners in the coming days.
Jonathan Jackson, 23rd July 2026
