Tree protestors asked to pay $150k in government legal fees

The protesters who lost a bid in the Federal Court to stop the North Adelaide Golf Course redevelopment have been asked by the state government to pay $150,000 in legal bills.

Earlier this month, the Federal Court rejected public servant Edwin Kemp Attrill and Kaurna Arabana woman Janette Milera's argument that the state government's felling of nearly 600 trees was breaching federal conservation laws.

On Monday, Premier Peter Malinauskas said the government's legal bills were estimated at between $450,000 and $550,000, and that Mr Kemp Attrill and Ms Milera have been asked to pay $150,000 of that total bill.

"Mr Attrill has cost the people of South Australia, hardworking taxpayers, he's cost them money," he said.

"We have an opportunity to recover some of those costs, but we don't want to do it in a way that is punitive to Mr Attrill himself.

"In order to settle this, we're giving him an opportunity to accept a payment of $150,000 which we think represents a balance between the competing interests."

Mr Kemp Attrill and Ms Milera's lawyer Ted Hui said the proposal by the government would "have a huge financial impact on my clients".

"This would be discouraging for people exercising their legal rights to protect the environment," he said.

"We will be reviewing the offer and case precedents in preparation of legal arguments."

Mr Malinauskas said if the offer was rejected, the government would "reserve its rights to recoup what our advice tells us are potentially recoverable costs".

He added that it was important to not set "a bad precedent that would be at the expense of taxpayers".

"[It's] just a balance we have to try and preserve," Mr Malinauskas said.