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House of Assembly - Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2)
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Motions

Port Gawler Conservation Park

The Hon. S.E. CLOSE (Port Adelaide—Minister for Education and Child Development, Minister for Higher Education and Skills) (16:46): I move:

That this house requests His Excellency the Governor to make a proclamation under section 29(3)(a) of the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972 to abolish the Port Gawler Conservation Park.

The purpose of this motion is to allow for the area to be added to the Adelaide International Bird Sanctuary National Park—Winaityinaityi Pangkara, under section 29(3)(a) of the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972. The Port Gawler Conservation Park was originally constituted in 1971 and protects 418 hectares of mangroves, samphire and coastal dune systems and the species they support.

The Adelaide International Bird Sanctuary is an internationally significant area for endemic and migratory shorebirds, traversing approximately 60 kilometres of coastline on the eastern shores of Gulf St Vincent, which has been formally recognised with a Certificate of Participation in the East Asian-Australasian Flyway, a network of international entities committed to the preservation of migratory bird species.

The Adelaide International Bird Sanctuary National Park has been created as a core protected area within the bird sanctuary. The proposed change in status of the land is consistent with the characteristics and values of the land and will contribute to the recognition of this area as an important part of the Adelaide International Bird Sanctuary. Both the bird sanctuary and the new national park have received broad support across the community, local government and the native title claimant group, reviving hope and positive aspirations for the northern Adelaide communities.

The existing Port Gawler Conservation Park does not permit any mining access. The land will be subject to that same restriction on being added to the national park. Once the Port Gawler Conservation Park has been abolished, it can be reconstituted by proclamation as an addition to the Adelaide International Bird Sanctuary National Park pursuant to section 28(1) of the act. The Governor will proclaim the abolition of the Port Gawler Conservation Park and the proclamation of the land as an addition to the Adelaide International Bird Sanctuary National Park on the same day.

I would like to add my personal pleasure in seeing that we are contributing to the success of the International Bird Sanctuary National Park—Winaityinaityi Pangkara—for two reasons; one is that my electorate has a portion of the bird sanctuary within it. I know how much it has been welcomed by locals in the area. The process that has been used to identify the values of the bird sanctuary in the national park has been extremely inclusive of community views, and I admire the process that has been undertaken by the department.

The other reason, on a more personal note, is that while I was growing up, my father, who was a very keen ornithologist, or birdo as we used to call them, frequently went to what was then called the ICI salt fields (Penrice) to see and count migratory birds as part of SAOA's (South Australian Ornithological Association) efforts in working out how our environment was going and particularly how hospitable we were being to migratory birds which, after all, come an enormous distance. If they do not have their destination in good nick, they are unable to feed, breed and return.

I am pleased to see such a great advance in the care and maintenance of our birds, particularly for the international migratory birds. It reminds me fondly of times in the back of the Kingswood, bored or reading a book, while my father was engaged in far more lofty and important activities. I commend the motion to the house.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: I thought you were going to tell us that that is how you learned to count.

The Hon. S.W. KEY (Ashford) (16:50): I would like to speak in support of this motion. Although not having much ornithological expertise, my partner is a member of BirdLife Australia and our house is littered with books on birds. After every walk we go on, we come back and refer to whatever birds we may have seen, so this has been part of my life for many years.

The Adelaide International Bird Sanctuary plays a significant role in enhancing South Australia's reputation as a biodiversity and conservation hotspot and tourist attractor. Many people like coming to South Australia for that very reason. As the minister has already said, the bird sanctuary covers approximately 60 kilometres of coastline on the eastern shores of Gulf St Vincent.

I am told that each year more than 25,000 migratory shorebirds arrive at the sanctuary and spend six months feeding and roosting. Each shorebird needs to put on more than 70 per cent of its body weight in preparation for their flight to the Northern Hemisphere. I feel I have something in common with these birds. It is hopefully never 70 per cent, but there seems to be something going on here that I can associate with.

The job of the sanctuary in providing nourishment for these shorebirds is very important and that is the main reason why the government is committed to expanding the area covered by the national park. The Port Gawler Conservation Park area will be reconstituted by proclamation as the newest addition to the Adelaide International Bird Sanctuary National Park. The change in status of this land will recognise the area as an important part of the sanctuary.

As the Presiding Member of the Natural Resources Committee, I am afforded many opportunities to go and visit different parts of the state. It has always given me a lot of pleasure to work with and talk to not only local residents, including Aboriginal people, but also the Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources staff who support the different natural resource committees and our committee, as well as the general community. There have been a number of recent trips I would like to mention.

In March this year, the Natural Resources Committee met with Mr Ian Falkenberg. He is DEWNR's Operations Coordinator of the Adelaide Bird Sanctuary at Port Arthur on the top of Yorke Peninsula. Mr Falkenberg spoke to us and also presented a lot of charts for us to have a look at with regard to the Adelaide Bird Sanctuary. He also coordinated a trip in May, when our committee went to the Gluepot Reserve, in his capacity as the Deputy Chair of Gluepot Reserve Birdlife Australia. I, along with other members and staff, was impressed by the work done at Gluepot, with assistance being provided by the department and the absolutely magnificent volunteer effort.

There were a number of people with us on both the March and May field trips that we undertook. I would like to make special mention of Trevor Naismith, Regional Director, Natural Resources, Northern and Yorke. I would also like to acknowledge Sonia Dominelli, Manager of Environment and Conservation, Natural Resources, South Australian Murray-Darling Basin NRM. We had with us a number of other people including Matt Humphrey, Natural Resources SA Murray-Darling Basin, Rod Ralph from the board, and Ian Falkenberg, as I mentioned. We also had from Yorke Peninsula Terry Boyce, Krystyna Sullivan, Andy Sharp, Van Teubner and Max Barr.

I should also mention that about 12 months ago, in April, we visited the Alinytjara Wilurara natural resource region and we went to Ceduna, Googs Lake, Maralinga, the whale watching centre at the Head of Bight, Yalata, Oak Valley community and the Nullarbor Caves. We were very ably supported by a whole host of people from the AWNRM board—Parry Agius, Mima Smart, Mick Haynes and Brian Queama—as well as the staff from the department: Fiona Gill, Tim Moore, Yasmin Wolf, Bruce Macpherson, Nathan Williams, Amanda Richards, Latisha Richards, Codee Spitzkowsky, Robbie Sleep, Tamahina Cox, Andrew Sleep, Jamal Lebois and Dirk Holman. All those people assisted us during different parts of our field trip in translating and explaining to us what we actually had before us.

The board members who made time to meet with us included Peter Miller, Presiding Member of the Far West Coast Aboriginal Corporation Board; John Mungee; Leonard Miller; Wanda Miller; Sue Haseldine; Clem Lawrie; and Dorcas Miller. All these people, on the three trips that I have mentioned, assisted the Natural Resources Committee and the local members who travelled with us. I would particularly like to make mention of the member for Goyder, who is a big supporter of natural resources but is also someone we have co-opted onto our committee. Wherever we go, it is really amazing to note the workers in this area, the volunteers in this area and also the people who serve on our local natural resources committees. It is with great pleasure that I support this motion and look forward to the future for the international bird sanctuary in particular.

Mr SPEIRS (Bright) (16:58): I rise to speak on the motion that is before the house today:

That this house requests His Excellency the Governor to make a proclamation under section 29(3)(a) of the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972 to abolish the Port Gawler Conservation Park.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Are you the lead speaker?

Mr SPEIRS: Yes, I am the lead speaker for the opposition. I wish to indicate that the opposition would like to give its wholehearted support to this motion. The motion is largely administrative in nature, but in many ways it gives effect to a very important environmental initiative, and I am certainly not afraid to congratulate the government on progressing the Adelaide International Bird Sanctuary and the national park associated with that sanctuary. The sanctuary stretches along 60 kilometres of Adelaide's coastline and spans four local government areas: the City of Port Adelaide Enfield, the City of Salisbury, the City of Playford and the Adelaide Plains Council.

The sanctuary and national park, which work together, aim to protect migratory shorebird habitat, improve water quality entering Gulf St Vincent and protect the coastline, particularly samphire, dunes and mangrove environments, from the impact of a changing climate. Importantly and vitally, the most likely driving motivation for the creation of the national park and sanctuary is that it sits right on the southern end of the East Asian-Australasian Flyway—a vital migratory pathway that shorebirds use to travel from their Northern Hemisphere breeding grounds to their Southern Hemisphere feeding grounds. As such, the sanctuary forms a key feeding and roosting site for migratory birds that use that flyway every year.

In coming to understand the motion that is before the house today, and learning about the Adelaide International Bird Sanctuary, I have learnt a huge amount about the flyway, its immense value to these migratory species and the huge importance of governments all across the world working together in a bipartisan and integrated way to protect the flyway. These birds are incredibly vulnerable as they make their lengthy passage across the world, often flying from as far away in the Northern Hemisphere as Siberia and Alaska, passing through 22 countries and ending up in the Southern Hemisphere in Australia and even through to New Zealand with some species in some circumstances.

The flyway is used by more than five million birds each year across the whole flyway, and around 27,000 of these birds end up in Adelaide in what has become known as the Adelaide International Bird Sanctuary National Park. They call this area home for several months of the year. These are essentially their winter feeding grounds when it is winter in the Northern Hemisphere, which obviously is quite harsh. They are not necessarily able to survive the winter in those conditions, so they move down through the flyway and end up in their Southern Hemisphere feeding grounds.

As I just said, the Adelaide International Bird Sanctuary is one of these very important feeding grounds. As the member for Ashford reminded us, they have to put on a considerable amount of weight during that feeding period to enable them to make that journey back north to their breeding grounds in those colder climates.

The sanctuary, whilst being one of Adelaide's longest continuous conservation areas, is home to 263 unique fauna and flora species. Of course, the sanctuary is not only valuable for the migratory species that were a significant impetus to its development and proclamation, as there are also many other important species of native fauna and flora that find themselves within the boundaries of the national park. There have been 263 fauna and flora species identified in that area to date.

In particular, the sanctuary helps to protect resident and migratory shorebirds. Shorebirds are seen as a particularly important part of this sanctuary. These birds include threatened species. There are many species there, not all of which are threatened but all of which will benefit from protection on that site. The threatened species in question include the curlew sandpiper, the ruddy turnstone, the red knot and the eastern curlew. They find themselves in a landscape that is also vital to South Australia's environment in that it will see productive mangroves, marine and coastal assets, river systems and many significant terrestrial species and ecological communities preserved and revitalised in the national park that is being created.

Turning specifically to the motion before the house today and the administrative nature of this motion, the fact that the new national park encompasses an existing protected area—that being the Port Gawler Conservation Park—requires a motion to come before both houses of the South Australian parliament to extinguish that conservation park because the existing protections that come with a national park will continue, so there is no need to duplicate that by having the Port Gawler Conservation Park remain in existence. The abolition of the Port Gawler Conservation Park will allow that area to be reconstituted as an addition to the Adelaide International Bird Sanctuary National Park.

The Port Gawler Conservation Park itself has been an important ecological environment for many years, which has been protected. I had the opportunity to visit that site a couple of weeks ago and see its valuable mangrove landscape in particular. It is obviously home to many of the species I just mentioned, both those migratory species and the threatened local species. The Port Gawler Conservation Park is located centrally within the Adelaide International Bird Sanctuary and so forms a very important part. It will not be forgotten simply because it is going to be wound into the new national park. In fact, it is being held out as a very key part of that landscape that is to be protected.

The government advises that the Adelaide International Bird Sanctuary and the new national park have received support from the general community around that area—local government and the local Kaurna people, as well as migrant and school communities in that region. It is also worth mentioning that the addition of land to the park does not require the approval of parliament and will proceed once parliament has considered the excision of the Port Gawler Conservation Park. It will proceed automatically once the Port Gawler Conservation Park is wound up.

In conclusion, I would like to once again reiterate the opposition's strong support for this policy and also my personal support. I would like to thank the minister and his department for arranging for me and a staff member to go to the Northern Plains and visit those coastal areas that will form part of the bird sanctuary. It was great to be able to go there a couple of weeks back. I am grateful for the assistance of DEWNR staff, particularly Jason Irving and Arkellah Irving, who provided me with a guided tour of the area. I learned a lot on that occasion. With that, I commend this motion to the house and once again reiterate the opposition's support.

Ms COOK (Fisher) (17:07): I rise to support the motion. The Adelaide International Bird Sanctuary National Park is fast becoming a valued asset for the protection and conservation of bird species. It holds an amazing story of bird migration. Thirty-seven species carry out some of the most incredible migrations of birds in the natural world. Every year, they journey thousands of kilometres between Australia and their breeding grounds, commonly in the Northern Hemisphere. Some shorebirds are smaller than a matchbox and can travel up to 10,000 kilometres in just a few days, traversing 22 countries to reach Adelaide's northern shores.

Our flyway is one of nine across the globe and is known as the East Asian-Australasian Flyway. The flyway is home to more than 50 million migratory shorebirds. As part of the state government's commitment to creating the sanctuary, a submission was presented to the global flyway partnership, based in Korea, to consider the inclusion of the sanctuary in the network of important migratory shorebird sites. The inclusion in the network strengthens the conservation value of the area and contributes to the worldwide effort to protect migratory shorebirds. In late 2016, the sanctuary was accepted and is now formally recognised as a globally significant site for migratory shorebirds, many of which are endangered.

This is an excellent achievement for our state and places Adelaide on the global map of must-see birdwatching destinations. It demonstrates the South Australian government's ongoing commitment to protect and conserve our valued natural assets. Being part of the partnership grants opportunities for sister site exchange, enabling the sharing of science, information and culture across countries, and places the sanctuary at the table with global leaders in this field. The park will be further strengthened by the inclusion of Port Gawler, joining up much of the important shorebird habitat along the northern coastline. I fully support this inclusion.

Ms CHAPMAN (Bragg—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (17:09): I rise in support of the motion, which has the effect of formalising the Adelaide International Bird Sanctuary as a national park. This is part of a process to deal with the abolition of the Port Gawler Conservation Park. I am happy to support that. I think it is pretty clear in South Australia that we do not need to watch a David Attenborough program to understand the significance of birds and the opportunity we have at a local level to enjoy these magnificent creatures.

As the owner of some coastal country in South Australia, I have had the pleasure of growing up with sea eagles and seeing their regular nesting as they return to coastal areas of the north part of Kangaroo Island. Notwithstanding all the amateur fishing that goes on out there, they do not seem to be deterred and are happy to continue to occupy their own territory. Playing on the beaches in public areas and watching hooded plovers and the like is something South Australians have the opportunity to grow up with, and we need to be part of a national and international community to ensure that we protect the flight paths and breeding areas.

Recently, our Burnside Rotary Club hosted an annual awards night to recognise those involved in parks and wildlife activity, either as a conservation officer or as a volunteer. I attend it annually, and there is now over 20 years of contribution. I am pleased to recognise the work of many, both in paid employment for the state government and as volunteers, in our parks and wildlife areas. This year, we had the pleasure of the shadow minister for the environment's attendance, which was most gracious.

Every year, the club invites the minister for the environment to the award night. I think minister Gago attended one year. This year, a representative from the Australian Labor Party attended. Although it is a rare occasion that a minister attends, we always welcome them. We particularly have the pleasure of the company of a number of people from the Department of Environment, who are absolutely committed to attending this occasion.

Mr Dene Cordes was instrumental in the establishment of the volunteers of parks in South Australia. He had a long-term commitment as a Department of Environment employee. He was also in attendance. Sadly, today his wife's funeral takes place, and the member for Finniss is attending. We will all miss her. As a team, they were very instrumental in securing continued education and involvement of our volunteers in the work that is done in parks.

With the acquisition of parks—in this case it is a transfer from one format to another, as a sanctuary already exists in this particular area—and the proclamation or statutory inclusion of an area for conservation, preservation or to provide for a specific purpose (in this case, the migratory patterns and path of birds), comes with responsibility. Firstly, I read with interest in today's paper that Biosecurity SA spent $60,00—and it was presented in a media sense as some kind of sensation, as though it came with a huge bill—sending out officers from their department to track down and destroy 10 bird pests, including the red whiskered bulbul. Apparently, the exercise was successful. I am very pleased to hear it.

I commend Biosecurity SA for undertaking this work. In my view, $60,000 is a drop in the bucket compared to the decimation these birds could inflict upon our state's $370 million wine grape industry. I understand from the media reports that I have read that citrus and strawberry industries and the like could also be severely affected. This is really important when there is an introduced species in this state—in this instance, birds.

Apparently, you can buy these birds in Melbourne or Sydney and they cost about $100 a pair. Everyone has these great ideas about acquiring pets but later find out they have become pests. If only someone had had such initiative with the introduction of rabbits in Victoria, we might not have had the disaster we had. I want to say well done to Biosecurity SA and remind the house about the significance of protecting not just landscape but the fauna and flora we enjoy in this state. It is important to be ever vigilant and maintain the agencies that are responsible for introduced pest species. Whether they have legs or roots, they have to be dealt with.

I remind our shadow minister that if he ever has the privilege of becoming minister I want him to make sure that there is no amendment to the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972, particularly to section 54. This provision provides that it is lawful for any person, without a permit or other authority, to kill an Australian magpie that has attacked or is attacking any person. Those are the only circumstances in which this precious bird, which is protected, can be lawfully killed. They are in the category of poisonous reptiles. If you are under attack or likely to be attacked by a poisonous reptile—I am not sure that you would hang around long enough to find out which category that would be—or are in the position of having some reasonable anxiety of this happening, then it is lawful, without a permit, to kill that poisonous reptile. Magpies are in this very special category.

Sad to say, for those of you who are Crows supporters, schedule 10 relegates the humble little crow and Australian crow to the category of unprotected species. They get no quarter of protection, nor should they. Birds are plentiful and abundant in South Australia and our native birds must continue to enjoy the protection of their migratory path. I commend the motion to the house.

The Hon. P. CAICA (Colton) (17:18): I will not hold the house up for very long. I am very pleased to rise to support this motion. A lot of people have talked about birds, and I do not think there is anything else that I can add to what has already been said by the various members who spoke about these beautiful feathered creatures that are treasured not only by South Australians but by people from around the world.

The point that I want to focus on today is something that has been touched on, but I want to elaborate upon it; that is, I believe, the government believes and I am sure everyone in this chamber believes, that the Adelaide International Bird Sanctuary National Park offers a unique experience for tourists and those who call our state home—so, those from South Australia, those from interstate and those from far away. There are lots of people who get the little binoculars out and go and watch birds and study them. That in itself is part of what I think can be the tourism experience when people visit South Australia.

This is the 22nd national park in South Australia and the first new park in 10 years. As we have heard, the bird sanctuary creates a safe haven for shorebirds, whilst also serving as another important destination for interstate and overseas tourists, as I mentioned. By reconstituting the Port Gawler Conservation Park land to the Adelaide International Bird Sanctuary National Park, it recognises the area as an important part of the bird sanctuary zone.

The mangroves north of Adelaide—they go all the way through to the member for Goyder's area, all the way up and even a bit farther—are a unique part of South Australia and a haven for various aspects of flora and fauna. I am very pleased that they have started a program to rid the area of deer in most recent times, as I understand it, and that is a good thing. I am sure there are people who enjoy shooting those deer but who also benefit from the venison. The area is also benefiting by getting rid of this feral creature from that very fragile environment that could be damaged by those wild deer.

It will be in an important part of the bird sanctuary zone, as I said, but it will also further enhance South Australia's reputation as a 'must visit' tourist destination for international and domestic travellers. If you look at South Australia and look at our future, I think South Australia has a good future, despite some of the ways by which people opposite in this chamber might continue to put down South Australia.

I expect that if they are in government next year—and who knows whether that will be the case or not—their attitude will change because they know that South Australia is a fantastic state in which to live and that it also offers great opportunities in a variety of areas, not the least of which is bringing people from interstate and overseas to this state not only to view but to interact with our pristine environments—whether that be on beautiful Yorke Peninsula, whether it be on the west coast, whether it be in the Flinders Ranges, or whether it be, in this instance, in the bird sanctuary and those areas north of Adelaide along what is, essentially, a mangrove trail.

I think that part of our future, and the economic future of South Australia, is in highlighting and exhibiting these things that we know make South Australia great and distinguish us from other parts of Australia and other parts of the world. To this extent, we know that the government's intention and aim is to expand the tourism sector to $8 billion and provide 41,000 jobs by the year 2020. I like stretch targets, and I am not suggesting that necessarily it is, but I think we should aim high. I think that is good because if we do market ourselves properly and we highlight to the rest of the world what we have to offer, I believe that tourists will continue to flock to South Australia.

In that regard, nature-based tourism, such as a bird sanctuary, will be an important part of this approach to be able to increase our tourism sector in the manner that I have just mentioned. By 2020, we expect to see the sector create a thousand new jobs and inject $350 million into the local economy, and I do not think that is a big ask. We should be able to do that. That will be underpinned by the government's Nature Like Nowhere Else strategy. I say that in South Australia we have nature like nowhere else.

I remember the discussions that occurred, despite the fact that I was absolutely vilified by some sections of the community, in regard to marine parks. Again, that is another example of the unique environment we have here in South Australia in which 80 per cent of the wildlife flora and fauna, the marine flora and fauna, the fishes and everything else that live in the water, are unique to this area—and that offers great opportunity as well. We need to protect and preserve that and maximise the benefit to South Australia through nature-based tourism, and fulfilling that will be the government's Nature Like Nowhere Else strategy.

The bird sanctuary is part of an outstanding coastal experience for visitors. In fact, I have had some preliminary discussions with my colleagues who have electorates along the coastline (save and except a few of them) about how we might focus on what the tourism experience will be from all the way down to Aldinga and Willunga, and even farther down to Victor Harbor and the whales, all the way up to the bird sanctuary. There is a lot we can do in that area to make sure that we have something that complements not only the coastal park trail that we have but an environmental trail as well that looks at the amazing things that exist and are part of that trail and that region.

The bird sanctuary is part of an outstanding coastal experience for visitors, as I said—and this includes the Adelaide Dolphin Sanctuary and marine parks, as I mentioned earlier—and has a range of nature-based activities presented to visitors such as kayaking on the Port River with dolphins, beach and trail walking, and birdwatching in the bird sanctuary.

I was fishing off the beach the other week and I never mind sharing the mullet that I catch down there with the dolphins; I think it is fantastic. Once you see the dolphins come through, you see these mullet jumping out of the water to try to get away from them and you know that you are not going to catch many fish thereafter, but I am happy to share those mullet with the beautiful dolphins. People know I am a bit of a joker, Deputy Speaker, and I know you might think this is horrible, but it is just a joke.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: No, I am sure I won't.

The Hon. P. CAICA: I remember one woman coming down one day and she said, 'Are you catching any fish?' I showed her my bag and she said, 'Wow! What type of fish are they?' 'They're mullet.' The dolphin came through and I said to her, 'Do you know what breaking strain you need to catch one of those things?' She cringed, thinking I was horrible, but of course it was just tongue in cheek. I explained the same thing, that I am happy to share my catch with these beautiful mammals that inhabit our waters. It is as simple as that.

That is one the things that will attract people. Where else in the world can we see this type of activity along a coastline 10 kilometres from the CBD? Our coastline here is not as pristine as those waters that we are talking about in other parts of the state, but it is still clean enough to ensure that these activities undertaken by these mammals and other creatures can occur.

You can tell I am excited by this motion, Deputy Speaker, and I am. I am going to finish off now. I know that you will be disappointed about that because I can tell by looking at you. I say that expanding the Adelaide International Bird Sanctuary National Park is a great example of not just a government commitment but also, as indicated by the member for Bright, a bipartisan commitment by the opposition of enhancing and preserving our state's unique natural environment and supporting, amongst other things, our local tourism industry. I commend this motion to the house.

Mr GRIFFITHS (Goyder) (17:26): I am pleased that the member for Colton is excited by the plan for the Adelaide International Bird Sanctuary, as am I. I want to provide the house with some personal experiences that I have had associated with the wider Adelaide International Bird Sanctuary, which only go to support the intention of this motion. Can I say that in this area I believe minister Hunter has done good things with the changes that are occurring.

One interesting aspect, though, has been the community engagement that has been undertaken. I have attended two meetings at Thompson Beach and one at Two Wells where community feedback has been sought about the impact of management plans that are required for the International Bird Sanctuary. As far as I am aware, they are not yet available in a draft form, which causes a level of frustration because I think there should have at least been some indication of what the intention was on how to manage access onto the site and from the site, particularly for those communities that are likely to be adjoining it.

I know there are some coastal communities north of Adelaide that are part of the electorates of Goyder and most likely Taylor where there will be some impacts. There is a level of frustration that exists, but there is an overwhelming sense of goodwill, too, for the International Bird Sanctuary to be established. I also attended the information sessions where we were shown some of the graphics of the distances travelled by the birds, and it something like 11,000 kilometres.

It is hard for me to conceive the capacity of a bird to actually fly that far and how it manages to stay aloft. It gets here in a much smaller state than it left the Siberian tundra, but it arrives in South Australia. It is an exciting part of what nature provides for us in the world that we can still view. While the world has gone through many changes in the last 100 years in particular, there are still some amazing aspects that not many of us know much about.

When the member for Colton talked about tourism opportunities, he is exactly right about the chances that it provides through the support being provided to create this International Bird Sanctuary, to promote it and to ensure that not just locals but also visitors to our state and our nation get the chance to experience it, because it is enlightening.

Early one Saturday morning, a collection of us decided to get out of bed early and go to one of the coastal communities on the gulf and do some birdwatching. That is not something I normally do, but I was pleased to be with the group. I had a different level of conversation with that group of people than I normally do with most others. I was given a set of good bird-spotting glasses. It was amazing to have someone who knows what they are talking about to explain the different characteristics you are looking for, their size and how they intermingle with others.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: It is a bit like being in here, isn't it?

Mr GRIFFITHS: You could equate it to that, Deputy Speaker, yes. I enjoyed doing that. I am not sure if part of my life post parliament might be spent watching birds, but we will see. However, I would like to experience it in the future. I commend the initiative that has been shown here; it is a good thing.

The Adelaide International Bird Sanctuary will create some significant opportunities. There is still a need to engage, negotiate and determine with the community the management plan issues that impact upon them. Some of those are quite varied and some, I believe, will not necessarily be included, nor should they be. However, this is an example of where our little place in the world is a unique aspect of the wider world, and we need to do all that we can legislatively within this building to support the ongoing development that it creates.

Importantly, from a government perspective, the member for Bright, who I hope will be a future minister for the environment, will show his personal support post March next year to ensure that the opportunities in the International Bird Sanctuary only build upon those good efforts made so far by minister Hunter, his staff and the Labor government and what we can all do to do make it better. I commend the motion to the house.

Motion carried.


At 17:32 the house adjourned until Thursday 1 June 2017 at 10:30.

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