Question Time

Kingston SE Boat Ramp

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY (Leader of the Opposition) (14:20): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Environment and Conservation a question about the Kingston boat ramp.

Leave granted.

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: As members may recall, I think two weeks ago I asked the minister a question about the Kingston boat ramp and he described that the Kingston council had applied for an emergency dredging permit to dredge the channel from the boat ramp out to sea. Unfortunately, that permit expired and so the EPA is now, I think, going through a process to put in some permanent measures.

I have since spoken to the Kingston council and it appears that the council was required by the EPA to install a silt trap so that any silt stirred up by the dredging did not float back upstream and cause a fish kill. Of course, the silt net was not available—it had to made especially and was not delivered or made available until after the permit had expired.

I have since been made aware that the sea rescue boat for the South-East is housed—not moored but housed—in Kingston and, of course, it is not able to access the boat ramp. We have a serious issue there now where if the marine rescue boat is called upon, it has to be driven down to Cape Jaffa, where I think it can still get into the water. Of course, if the incident it is going to is north of Kingston, we are talking several hours' delay in getting that sea rescue vessel up to where it is needed.

My question to the minister is: given that it has come to light now that the sea rescue vessel is unable to use the Kingston facility, would that constitute a reasonable request for another emergency permit, given community safety and that as we are about to enter the busy boating season people's safety may be at risk because this vessel is not able to enter the water at Kingston, which could cause several hours' delay in getting to anybody in trouble north of Kingston?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Climate Change) (14:22): I thank the honourable member for his additional question on this topic. I also have received further advice on the matter, so I will share that with the chamber now, and I thank him again for raising it. Further to the answer that I provided on 2 November to the question from the Hon. Mr Ridgway on this very topic, I am informed that council was aware in April of this year that a licence would be required for the dredging activities at Maria Creek. I repeat this: I am informed that council was aware in April of this year, 2017, that a licence would be required for the dredging activities.

I am also advised that in the week of 6 November 2017 the council supplied further information to the EPA as part of the licence application. I understand that this information included the dredging management plan. The EPA is currently seeking public feedback as required under the Environment Protection Act 1993, and I understand that the EPA is working to assess the application as quickly as possible.