Ardrossan Men's Shed

Mr ELLIS (Narungga) (15:20): My question is to the Minister for Environment and Water. Can the minister update the house on the work that the excellent people of the wonderful Ardrossan Men's Shed are doing in the area of conservation around Yorke Peninsula?

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS (Black—Minister for Environment and Water) (15:20): I thank the member for Narungga for his question. There is no doubt in my mind that the member for Narungga is correct when he refers to the Ardrossan Community Association Men's Shed as a wonderful organisation. I actually had the pleasure of visiting that organisation last week, last Tuesday, when I was on a trip to Yorke Peninsula.

I headed over there particularly to meet the Men's Shed because they have been involved in a very special, a very critical conservation project in partnership with the Department for Environment and Water, in partnership with volunteers from Birds SA and other environmental groups, including the Southern Yorke Peninsula Landcare Group, which was represented during my visit by Ann Williams, the vice president of that group.

The project that the Ardrossan Men's Shed has been focused on has been assisting with the construction of artificial nesting platforms for osprey. We know that osprey are a particularly endangered raptor, a fish-eating eagle, found around coastal South Australia. They are increasingly rare. There are only between 50 and 70 nesting pairs in the state and they are very susceptible to disturbance when they are nesting and also to their eggs being taken from the nest by predators such as foxes.

Having raised offshore platforms has been undertaken right across the world as a way to encourage this species, this quite amazing and very stunning species of raptor, to be able to fledge young in a much more successful way.

A passionate Birds SA volunteer Ian Falkenburg actually approached the Ardrossan Men's Shed knowing that the Northern Yorke Peninsula was an area where we really wanted to see the recovery of this species pioneered, and the Men's Shed agreed to take part in the construction of these very large offshore platforms.

They are created using a fibreglass composite with a very strong platform on top. It is possible for existing nests to be moved from more vulnerable spots and placed on these platforms. One of the platforms built, the first one built by the Men's Shed, has been put out at Wills Creek, near the township of Price and already there is a nest of eggs on there. The birds moved immediately from their much more vulnerable nest to nest on top of this offshore platform, where they felt much safer.

It was great to meet the Men's Shed volunteers, in particular Kevin Betterman, Brian Brook, Dieter Hentschel, John Vermuelen, Roger Lewis, Bruce Cock, Kevin Braid and Richard Carruthers, people who have been working on this great conservation project that will actually give this unique species a fighting chance into the future. We have seen this process of using offshore platforms work so well overseas. We know it can work here. To be able to have the social benefit of the Men's Shed being involved is just an incredible bonus.

I want to take this opportunity to thank the Ardrossan Men's Shed for their contribution to conservation in the state. I look forward to catching up with them soon. I also thank them for the box of kindling for my wood burner that I was able to get for a bargain of $10 when I was there as well.