Adelaide Beach Management Review

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK (14:59): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking a question of the Attorney-General, as the representative of the government, regarding the Adelaide Beach Management Review and sand.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: On Tuesday 24 June, despite a forecast high tide and storms with both strong wind warnings and rain, DEW continued to cart at least 15 trucks of quarried sand to the Henley Sailing Club beach ramp. One of the comments on the Save West Beach Sand's Facebook page states that 'a significant amount got washed away in the tide last night, straight into the water'. I understand this is disputed by the government. According to InDaily media, the department says that 'crews reached their target of 200,000 cubic metres for this financial year'. My questions for the Attorney are:

1. Was there a rush to dump 15 trucks of sand that day, knowing that it was a high tide and storm, purely to meet an end of financial year target?

2. Will the government admit that its handling of the Adelaide Beach Management Review has been purely political to keep the Deputy Premier's constituents happy, regardless of outcomes further south along the coastline?

3. When is this government actually going to fix metropolitan beaches and ensure equity of sand across the metro beaches?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector, Special Minister of State) (15:00): I thank the honourable member for her question. The day-to-day management of sand on our beaches is something that DEW does and the relevant minister has responsibility for. Certainly, the program looking at the northern cells between the West Beach-Henley Beach area, up to the Largs area, is something that I have been delegated to look at for the government's response for a long-term solution. We had a commitment to a proper, thorough scientific investigation of what the solutions might be.

I do not have full answers in relation to the day-to-day management at West Beach. I do know that there is, I understand—and the honourable member made reference to it—something like 200,000 cubic metres of quarry sand being delivered to West Beach in the 2024-25 financial year, which I believe is the largest amount that has ever been replenished there in one year. There is a program that DEW has to replenish sand, but we are also looking at what will or may need to be done in relation to mass nourishment of sand and annual sand recycling.