Encounter Bay Shipwreck

Mr BASHAM (Finniss) (14:38): My question is to the Minister for Environment and Water. Will the minister update the house on the recent discovery of the shipwreck off the coast of Encounter Bay and the steps the government is taking to preserve its significant heritage value to the people in the electorate of Finniss and the entire state?

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS (Black—Minister for Environment and Water) (14:38): It is great to stand up and talk about a shipwreck today. No, I am not talking about the performance of the South Australian Labor Party.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Please do not provoke the opposition.

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS: Sorry, I couldn't help myself. You've got to take these opportunities when they come.

The SPEAKER: Order! The minister is under an obligation not to provoke the opposition. Minister.

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS: Thank you—just some humour.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS: It is good to be able to update the house on this matter because it is a serious matter.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS: I am being heckled, Mr Speaker.

The SPEAKER: Minister, you deserve it. Minister, please continue.

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS: This is a very interesting matter and something that many members will be interested in. In fact, many people are intrigued and captivated by the idea that a shipwreck has been found off the coast of South Australia, only 300 metres off the coast of Encounter Bay, in the member for Finniss' beautiful electorate.

This is a unique find. It is a ship called the South Australian. It is a barque, which was one of 16 such ships which were used to bring free immigrants to South Australia in 1836 and 1837 from Europe. It is the earliest recorded shipwreck ever to have occurred in South Australian waters, following the colonisation of the state, and it is believed to be one of only three known archaeological sites of this type of ship in the world.

One of the great things about this shipwreck is that it is in remarkably good condition. It has been great to hear the story of the find of this shipwreck unfold. The discovery and preservation of this site has been led by the Department for Environment and Water, but it has been a broader partnership with the South Australian Maritime Museum, along with the Silentworld Foundation and Flinders University. Together, they identified this ship in April this year and they have worked to put appropriate protections in place to ensure that the archaeological value of the ship can be preserved, that the tourism potential can be unleashed in the future. But until that point the site is protected.

The site is protected under the Historic Shipwrecks Act 1981, and that is a blanket protection, but we have also worked with the local community and with the partners in this preservation project to create a 30-metre radius protection zone around that shipwreck. The size of that zone is quite small. It is small enough not to impinge on the activities of boaters and fishers but large enough, we believe, to be able to protect this site from potential activity that could damage the archaeological value. We have also installed interpretive signage along the foreshore at Encounter Bay to let local people know of the situation.

Over the coming months and potentially longer, an archaeological project will unfold finding out what this ship has to offer before we get the opportunity to provide wider tourism and economic development opportunities through this find. I look forward to being able to update the house in the future of this significant find. I commend this information to the house.