MARINO CONSERVATION PARK

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation) (16:02): I move:

That this council request His Excellency the Governor to make a proclamation under section 30(2)(b) of the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972 to exclude allotment 801 in deposited plan 91248, hundred of Noarlunga, from the Marino Conservation Park.

The purpose of this motion is to excise this parcel from the Marion Conservation Park. Under section 30(4) of the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972, an alteration to the boundary of the Marino Conservation Park will require a resolution of both houses of parliament and a subsequent proclamation by the Governor.

The Marino Conservation Park provides spectacular views of the Adelaide metropolitan shoreline and provides protection to a number of plant species, including the inland bright eye, considered endangered across the country. The western boundary of the park is shared with the Noarlunga rail line. This rail line is included in the government initiative to electrify the Noarlunga and Seaford rail lines.

During the execution of this project, the Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure identified that the physical fence line along the western boundary of the park was not aligned with the legal boundary of the park. It was discovered that land held in title by the Minister for Transport and Infrastructure had been fenced inside the park and a small area of the existing Marino Conservation Park infringed on the eight-metre offset required to ensure rail safety standards.

A new boundary for the park is proposed to ensure rail safety standards are met and that the land in the park has the correct legal tenure. The new boundary will require the excision of 1,059 square metres of land, being allotment 801, from the Marino Conservation Park for transfer to the Minister for Transport and Infrastructure. This transfer of land will legally realign the boundary of the park to ensure that the fence line is the required distance from the track and electrical infrastructure, meeting rail safety standards.

As part of the boundary realignment, the Minister for Transport and Infrastructure will also transfer allotments 701 and 702, approximating 3,089 square metres of land, to me for addition to the Marino Conservation Park. This land is currently fenced within the park and will continue to be managed for conservation by the Department for Environment, Water and Natural Resources.

As previously mentioned, the excision of land from the conservation park requires a resolution of both houses of parliament. Following the parliament's consideration of this matter, allotment 801 will be formally excised from the Marino Conservation Park by way of proclamation, and the parcel will resume tenure as unalienated crown land. I will then dispose of the land for no consideration under sections 24 and 25 of the Crown Land Management Act 2009 to the Minister for Transport and Infrastructure.

This excision has been supported by the Adelaide & Mount Lofty Ranges NRM Board, the Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure and the Friends of the Marino Conservation Park. I commend the motion to the council.

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK (16:05): This is a fairly straightforward issue in relation to the realignment of the boundary, which clearly was not done quite correctly in the first place. I commend the work of Friends of Marino Conservation Park. I was down there a couple of months ago at the invitation of the Liberal candidate for Bright, Mr David Speers.

The Hon. J.S.L. Dawkins: A very good candidate.

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: He is a very good candidate, and hopefully he will make an excellent member of parliament after March next year. One of his key concerns has always been environmental issues, and this park forms a significant part in that particular area and contains remnant dunes, as the minister well knows, as we both attended at the Tennyson dunes. We need to protect the parks and conservation areas we have left. With those remarks, I endorse the motion.

Motion carried.