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House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2009-02-18 Daily Xml
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Grievance Debate

WIRRINA MARINA

Mr PENGILLY (Finniss) (15:24): I return to the subject of Wirrina, which I spoke about two weeks ago. I would like to separate the issues: the golf course at Wirrina is one entity, the marina is an entity, as is the resort. The resort has now been taken over by Vista under the management of Mr Geoff Dibble. The staff at the resort are getting paid, although they are owed considerable money by others involved. It is a tangled web of intrigue. Recently on Channel 7, a story was aired about the people who run the golf course who are not getting paid and, once again, that is an issue that needs attention.

The ownership of this, to the best of my understanding, is that Sunset Cove used to operate under a gentleman called Mr Warren Turner. I understand that Mr Turner's side of it is in receivership or administration. Two gentlemen named Greg and Adam Huxley are the principals of ICA.

These are both New South Wales companies. I think these people need to be questioned seriously about what they are doing and the fact that their staff are not being paid and that no superannuation is being paid across the board. I would like more particularly to turn my attention to the issue of the Wirrina marina which is a part of the complex but is still under the control of ICA and, somehow or other, this Mr Warren Turner from Sunset Cove who have got their sticky fingers in it.

This is a disgraceful thing that is taking place down there, and it is my view that the government should seriously look at, if possible, taking over the head lease on the marina and putting that marina up for sale or calling for expressions of interest to get it running properly in the best interests of the state.

What is happening at the moment is simply not good enough. The marina is totally separate now from the resort, and I want to stress that. The resort is being operated by Vista. Mr Steve Marshall is keeping an eye on the marina. I finally got him paid the other day, but he has not received all his pay or his superannuation. I think the only way to get this marina operating properly is for it to be revisited and to have a total makeover, and that can only take place under new ownership.

ICA, to all intents and purposes, does not know what it is doing. I think this thing needs thorough investigation, perhaps even by the fraud squad or people in the federal sphere, to ascertain just what Mr Greg Huxley and Mr Adam Huxley have been up to, what their current position is and what part is being played by Mr Warren Turner from Sunset Cove. As I said, it is a mess.

The marina berth owners are not all paying their dues because, quite frankly, they are not getting anything for their money. Where is this money disappearing to? As I understand it, the dues that are paid disappear into ICA. The staff do not even get paid. There is no work being undertaken on the marina as promised. The facilities that were going to be built have not been built. They cannot get fuel because the company that supplied it, Adelaide Fuel, removed the ability to pay by card. We need the Wirrina marina to be operating properly.

The resort appears to be starting to operate properly now. That is terrific news for the Western Fleurieu: Yankalilla, Normanville and that area. The golf course is another story. I do not know what is going to happen there, but we just have to get the marina operating properly. I will write to minister Conlon and strongly urge him to resume that head lease if that is at all possible, and put the Wirrina marina up for sale. It is the only way that we are going to get any sense out of it. I think dealing with these others is like dealing with a nest full of snakes—poisonous snakes at that. I have had dealings with people in the past whom you cannot trust.

Mr Venning: Vipers.

Mr PENGILLY: 'Vipers', the member for Schubert says. Well, I reckon they're rattle snakes; they're not vipers. These people should be exposed. The sham that has been run as an operation by ICA and Sunset Cove in the past should be exposed. The whole thing should be tipped upside down and sorted out. I pay tribute to Vista which is doing its best with the resort in difficult circumstances. Once again, it is trying up there, but the rest of it is a nonsense.

Time expired.

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