The first trees in the Adelaide eastern parklands are being removed on Friday. ( 891 ABC Adelaide: Troy Sincock )
Protesters have gathered in the Adelaide parklands as the first trees slated for removal to make way for the MotoGP track have been felled.
891 ABC Adelaide reporter Troy Sincock is on the corner of East Terrace and Bartels Road and said dozens of protesters have gathered since early this morning behind temporary fencing.
"In the background, the sound of chainsaws in Rymill Park, I then saw workers in high-vis loading large tree boughs into a mulcher," he said.
He said he saw two protesters sitting in a tree, who were speaking to police.
"The sound of chainsaw and further mulching was then later heard on Rundle Road but police have been speaking to the protesters in the trees, they remain there seemingly undeterred," he said.
"People have been yelling 'stop the chop', and cars are beeping their horns as they pass in support."
The 4.13-kilometre circuit was proposed to be laid in Victoria Park and cut through the parklands between Wakefield Road and Rundle Road.
The $96 million project was set to remove nearly 400 trees, including 42 significant trees, with the SA government previously pledging to replace them with mature stock on a 10 to one basis.
The government said four trees would be removed today for preliminary water works.
