Minda Dunes Coast Park

The Hon. C.L. WINGARD (Gibson—Minister for Police, Emergency Services and Correctional Services, Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing) (15:25): It is with great pleasure that I rise today to speak about one of the milestones in my local community at Somerton Park. It was an honour to open the Minda Dunes Coast Park on 20 October; a glorious Sunday it was, too. It was a pleasure to be there with the member for Morphett in our community. This is a shared pathway that quintessentially joins the member for Morphett's electorate and my electorate.

There has been a lot of work done along the path linking Kingston Park in the south and Glenelg in the north, but there was one stretch that was left uncompleted when we came into government. Lo and behold, you would not be surprised, Mr Speaker, that it was the toughest stretch that needed to be done. It was a pleasure working with the member for Morphett in delivering this for our communities. It was a significant project that runs through the Minda Dunes.

As you walk along the foreshore from Glenelg through to Seacliff and/or beyond, you no longer have to go in along Repton Road and King George Avenue and duck your way back in. You can actually go along the boardwalk now that is there in its place. The member for Morphett and I were there to cut the ribbon and open this boardwalk. As I said, it was a beautiful sunny day and they could not wait for us to cut the ribbon. People were lined up, packed up, ready to go and ready to hit this walk. It has been truly outstanding to see so many people appreciate the great work that has been done.

As I said, the member for Morphett and I were there with the Holdfast Bay mayor, Amanda Wilson, and Minda resident Emma Brougham. It was great to launch this with her. She was so excited. In fact, a lot of people from Minda had come down. One of the most delightful things about this new boardwalk is that it really incorporates the beach and the community into the Minda family, and they are such a great part of our community. That Minda community is such a wonderful part of our local area. To be more ensconced in what they are doing, to be able to help and provide support and to see the wonderful people who live there on a more regular basis is absolutely sensational.

I mentioned that the state government committed $4.3 million towards this project, that is how important it was, and that was the significant part of delivering this wonderful piece of infrastructure. Of course, the local council put in a million dollars as well. Mr Speaker, I invite you to come down to the coast at any time. The member for Morphett and I would be happy to host you and show you along the new public plaza area that is outside the Somerton Surf Life Saving Club, as well as the boardwalk and shared path uses.

What is more, there is actually an educational zone and a great tribute to the Indigenous heritage of the area. There has also been revegetation, public art, seating and a shade structure, fencing, public amenities and an upgrade to the southern plaza car park. It is a great facility that is right in front of the Somerton Surf Life Saving Club.

Coincidentally, the unveiling of the Minda Dunes Coast Park walk coincided with the opening of the 60^th season of the Somerton Surf Life Saving Club. It was great to be there with the President of the Somerton Surf Life Saving Club, Warwick Holland, and directors and sponsors. Louise Lawson is part of the fundraising and grants committee there. It was with great pleasure that I was able to hand over $5,000 to the Somerton Surf Life Saving Club as part of our Active Club Program, which is to go towards the surfboats.

The surfboat crew and the surfboat captain in particular, Michael Whitford, was very happy to learn that this money was coming his way. He is a very good local man, Mr Whitford, and the boats that were there were reconditioned boats. They had come from somewhere else, but they were renamed in honour of some of the club legends. They had to go through a little bit of a process. You write on some coins, you put them in the sea, you wait for the sea to rub the writing off and when the writing is rubbed off you can come back and rename the boats. It is something I did not know before, but you learn things every day when you are down at a local surf club.

The boats were named in honour of Andrew Meaney, a longstanding member of the club. His family and his dad, Lance, are great people in our local community. To have a boat named after Andrew, who is a personal friend of mine, was wonderful to see and thoroughly deserved. A boat was also named after Robert Hood—aka 'Grinder', as he is known. Again, he is a great member of that surf club. He has been there for 51 consecutive years as a member, which is truly outstanding. A boat was named after big Steve Cornish as well, and it was great to see. He is another person who has given so much back to that club; in fact, he was the youngest and longest serving president of the club.

They did the champagne thing. The boats were blessed by the club chaplain, Rev. Barbara Paull-Hunt, and it was great to see her there as part of this celebration as well. The tradition is that they pour the champagne over the stern of the boat and over the names that were emblazoned upon the boats. They have to have a little swig as well, as that is the tradition—if it was not the tradition, they made it the tradition—and it was nice to see.

Again, it is a great part of our community. It is wonderful to be in those celebrations and, as a government, to be putting $4.3 million towards that contribution. I am very proud of it. I know the member for Morphett is as well, so, too, is the Minister for Environment, who plays a big part in our local community. We thoroughly thank all the surf lifesaving volunteers and all the people in our community who enjoy this wonderful new facility.