Conservation Park Accessibility

Ms BEDFORD (Florey) (14:42): My question is to the Minister for Environment. Are there any plans for your department to examine ways conservation parks and national parks can be made more accessible, particularly for people with mobility issues?

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS (Black—Minister for Environment and Water) (14:43): I thank the member for Florey for her question and congratulate her on her re-election to this place as an Independent representative of her community. The member would know, and many members of this house would know, that I have a particular interest and passion for making our outdoor spaces and our natural environment as accessible as possible for those who, for whatever reason—whether that be that they are living with a disability or through age and infirmity—might not be able to access particular parts of our community.

Many people in this room and many people in society would certainly be taking access issues for granted on a day-to-day basis, but from time to time it is worth turning our mind to those places that we love to be able to go to and think about what would happen if for one reason or another we didn't have the physical ability to be able to visit those places. The member would know that I have been heavily involved in beach access, something which is close to my heart and close to my electorate's heart. I am very keen to see the department that I have responsibility for look for opportunities to create access to natural environments and the places that my department has stewardship of.

Under the previous government, a good piece of work was undertaken at Hallett Cove Conservation Park in my electorate to ensure that the first part of the conservation park, from the Boatshed Cafe at Hallett Cove beach through to the first point, the first section, of the conservation park, was wheelchair accessible. That involved removing a gated entry, creating an accessible entry and then laying asphalt through what was previously a very rough path that was not usable for wheelchairs or people with walking aids.

Of course, we know that when we undertake those activities to make areas more accessible for people who are living with a disability, there is actually a great benefit for wider society as well. For people who might be pushing their kids in a pushchair or a pram, it just makes places accessible more generally. Recently, in the last few weeks, my department has undertaken a broader exercise where staff are being asked to suggest ways we can make our national parks, our conservation parks and our recreation parks more accessible.

A call went out to the department, to the people who are working these parks on a day-to-day basis and who have a knowledge and understanding of how they work, looking for opportunities where we might have more accessible places within the parks. I know there is a real interest from Deep Creek Conservation Park, the Yankalilla district council and the friends group down there to invest. That obviously includes part of the Heysen Trail as well. That conservation park is one that we are looking at closely for opportunities down the track to create accessible entry points and accessible parts of that park.

I think that, for people living with a disability, we will not be able to fully create our national parks as being 100 per cent accessible, but I know there is a great deal of appreciation amongst those people who are living with a disability and their families for those small actions and larger actions that make our national parks and conservation parks that bit more accessible.