Belair National Park

Ms HUTCHESSON (Waite) (15:26): I often get asked about what is happening at the old Belair golf course after it closed in 2018. As a parent of a keen golfer, I was sad to see it go, but when the lease ended, a master planning process was undertaken to seek expressions of interest for the site and to hear community views. In response to the community feedback, a Belair National Park Management Plan amendment was adopted to help shape the land for future uses and support conservation and recreation. In 2021, the Golf Course/Caravan Park Zone was replaced with a new Conservation 3 Zone, enabling alternative land uses for this area.

Now, the Department for Environment and Water continues to work to integrate the former golf course into the wider reserve and make it an even better place to enjoy. So, what is actually happening there every day? Lots, actually. Every Saturday morning, the park comes alive with over 200 community members taking a five-kilometre run or walk. This is our Belair National Park parkrun. It is a fantastic event that began two years ago thanks to the work of local volunteers who answered the call that I made on New Year's Day asking if our community should own its own parkrun.

It is thanks to these volunteers who turn up every week that we see so many of our locals starting off their weekend with the incredible scenery of the park while meeting new people and trying their best to beat their own personal bests. Everyone is welcome at our local parkrun. You can walk, run or volunteer. You can even bring your dog. The parkrun starts at 7.45 on Saturday mornings, bright and early. Do remember to register so when you get there it is easy to get involved and easy to finish.

Apart from that, during our parkrun we also have another initiative called Blokes at the Back. This is a group for men to walk and chat, supporting their mental health through The Man Walk initiative. The Blokes at the Back walk at Belair National Park is quickly becoming a special space for our men in our community to talk, walk and support each other in a way that is truly inclusive and pressure free. Thanks to the dedication of Jason Hughes, local men now have the incredible opportunity every week to gather to enjoy the beautiful scenery, swap dad jokes—probably—and simply be present for one another. It is a safe place where it is okay to ask for help and share your thoughts, and it is inspiring to see it grow every week.

More than just a weekly stroll through our stunning national park, the Blokes at the Back initiative is becoming a lifeline for those who are up early on Saturday, breaking down the walls of loneliness and isolation that too many men face. Jason's commitment to bringing Blokes at the Back via The Man Walk program to our community has made it possible for men to strengthen their bonds, improve their mental health and just feel like they belong. On behalf of everyone who has benefited from these walks, thank you Jason for creating this ripple effect of kindness, connection and positive change.

If you do not like walking in parkrun, you can walk in another way, and that is by playing disc golf. The South Australian Disc Golf association has installed an 18-hole disc course on the former golf course fairways. Visitors can play casually on this course, with some organised events on approved dates. The course is planned to make sure that disc golf activities do not interfere with other types of recreation in the park. You can hire discs from the Belair National Park Holiday Park or the Goat Shed Cafe at the site.

Speaking of the Goat Shed Cafe, you can sit there and have a lovely cup of tea. There is always beautiful cake there and you can have a look at all the beautiful scenery and quite often see kangaroos jumping past. There are also mountain bike trails in the park and, thanks to Ian Fehler from the Goat Shed with the support from a state government Experience Nature Tourism grant, there is also a pump track at the old tavern site. You can bring the kids and grandkids along with their bikes and watch them carve up the jumps. You can also hire bikes from the Goat Shed, both leg-powered and battery-powered. The bikes even have GPS systems to help you map out your ride.

Thanks also to the Friends of Belair National Park, who work within the golf course area to revegetate some of the areas, along with the help of the park rangers. The Friends are an incredible group of volunteers who work tirelessly in the park to restore, regenerate and protect our native scrub. If you are interested in joining the Friends of Belair National Park, they are part of the Friends of Parks and Nature Group and you can find the details on the national parks website.

What about the adventure playground? This is something I also get asked about. The existing metal-frame playground will be demolished to make way for new play equipment, which will make this playground even better and a much more fun place to discover, with improved safety and the reduction of ongoing maintenance. The Department for Environment and Water is currently in the design phase, with construction planned to start from August.

Kids still enjoy playing in the playground tunnels, just like I did when I was a kid. Those tunnels and the fort will stay and are not impacted by these current works. Subject to funding, though, the tunnels, fort and nature play areas will also be getting an upgrade in the future. You may see any of these activities in the old golf course. I encourage you to check it out.