Adelaide Beach Management Review

The Hon. H.M. GIROLAMO (Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (14:54): I seek leave to give a brief explanation before asking questions of the Deputy Premier as the minister supposedly responsible for the Adelaide Beach Management Review.

Leave granted.

The Hon. H.M. GIROLAMO: For more than a year, the government has refused to release the results of the dredging trial completed in November 2024. Throughout this period, responsibility for the Adelaide Beach Management Review has been bounced from one minister to another. During estimates, then Minister Close declared she would not answer questions due to a conflict of interest. Her successor, Minister Lucy Hood, has now stated twice in the other place, on 16 October and again last sitting week on 13 November, that the matter remains with the Attorney-General.

Meanwhile, communities from West Beach to Henley South continue to face accelerating erosion, exposed infrastructure and a total lack of clarity. Despite lengthy delays, despite thousands of tonnes of sand being shifted and despite repeated questioning, this government still refuses to provide a date for when South Australians will finally see the findings. My questions to the Deputy Premier are:

1. Can the Deputy Premier confirm that he is the minister currently responsible for all decisions relating to the Adelaide Beach Management Review, including the release of the dredging trial results?

2. Will the Deputy Premier commit to giving this parliament and the South Australian community a clear date for when the government will release the review's findings, which have been withheld from here for more than a year since the dredging trial was completed?

3. Has the Deputy Premier now received formal advice from DEW on long-term sand management options and, if so, why have these not been released?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Deputy Premier, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector, Special Minister of State) (14:56): Work continues in relation to the best long-term solution for the management of the northern beaches. We will be happy to make sure we inform all of South Australia when that is ready and complete. The one thing the honourable member mentioned in her question that she actually got right was talking about the thousands of tonnes of sand that have been placed.

That is very, very true. In fact, last financial year, I think some 250,000—a quarter of a million—cubic metres of sand were delivered to West Beach, the largest amount of sand delivered to West Beach in history, as I understand it. I thank the honourable member for correctly saying that it is not just thousands of tonnes, it is a quarter of a million cubic metres of sand that have been delivered to West Beach. I thank the honourable member for her compliment about the government's accomplishments.