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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, First Session (54-1)
2018-06-05 Daily Xml
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Fisherman Bay

Mr ELLIS (Narungga) (15:33): I rise today to speak about a unique coastal township within the electorate of Narungga that, after some 20 years of planning and toil with numerous stakeholders and various government departments and agencies, is now finally on the cusp of significant development.

The township in question is Fisherman Bay, located five kilometres north of Port Broughton, a settlement of about 400 shacks, all leased on land owned since 1973 by a collection of people under the banner of Fisherman Bay Management Pty Ltd. It has been like a town forgotten, with no sealed roads and traditional shacks left underdeveloped due to the natural uncertainty over security of land tenure and with the group being on their own in regard to provision and planning of roads, water and sewer infrastructure.

Over the years, the management group has gradually been moving toward altering the land to freehold title with the support of the local council. I report a most interesting and enjoyable morning last week spent with the mayor, Cynthia Axford, and CEO, Andrew Cole, of Barunga West council and representatives from the Fisherman Bay management group. Thank you to chairman, Mr Peter Barrie, and directors, Mr Robert Hosking and Mr Bruce Manhire, who are, not surprisingly, very excited to report that the end of the freehold path is now in sight and they are now achieving approval to freehold the settlement into 432 allotments after the current land division applications were lodged in July 2010. The process has been supported by the Development Assessment Commission since 2012.

Myriad issues have had to be dealt with along the way towards this great news: assessments have lapsed along the way; negotiations have stalled at various points due to the unique complexities, including dealing with the sheer number of leaseholders within the unique ownership arrangements; native title issues; environmental considerations; and the various infrastructure planning stakeholders and associated government departments, which have had to be consulted, including the Environment Protection Authority, the Coastal Protection Board, transport services, Crown lands, fire compliance and SA Water.

There are still issues around coastal protection, which need to be sorted out, in particular around the construction of a seawall and levy and issues around tides and stormwater. The news of a 'subject to conditions and engineers' planning date for management to freehold the 432 allotments finally came in November 2017, with the proposed date being 26 October 2018. I congratulate all involved on their huge efforts, tenacity and patience on finally getting to this point. It has been a long haul for a lot of different people.

All in this place can appreciate what the freeholding will mean for the district. Planning has included providing building guidelines around zoning, surveying and land use, setbacks, heights, designs and densities and sorting boundaries. Planning also includes site levels, telecommunications and electricity—aside from planning for significant public infrastructure, including roads, gutters and footpaths, open space, drainage, waste control, coastal protection and water treatment, and, importantly, the sorting of who is paying for what.

This has been a huge local issue for the township, which is essentially a holiday shack area that has developed on private land over the past 80 years. You can understand the emotional side of the process for the families who have annually paid their lease fee for their family shack, in many cases for generations, and the toll uncertainty for the future can bring. For some, it will mean selling and not being able to meet the freehold costs and, for others, it will mean plans for new builds and improvements that can now occur.

For the district, it is an exciting time, and I again commend all involved in negotiations: the management group, existing licence holders, engineers, lawyers, state agencies and especially council, which has had the responsibility to plan for the huge growth and demand on services and the environment that will now come with it, whilst being conscious of not losing the character of the place, which has been recognised as a need by locals.

The process, which has been going on for 20 years, is a testament to the willpower and fortitude of those involved, and it is a genuine win-win for all: for the Fisherman Bay corporation to be able to get out of their outdated business model and for the residents to get their own land on which their property sits.

I am informed that 92 per cent of leaseholders have paid their deposit to enter into the freehold arrangement. The last hurdle is ensuring the new vibrant township will not get flooded away with the tides. This responsibility lies with the Coastal Protection Board, which I am aware has had various issues to deal with within my electorate, notably the drift sand at Wallaroo, which is an issue for those residents living in front of Otago Road at Fisherman Bay, where there is an issue with the boat ramp previously installed, and at Black Point, where drift sand is also an issue. The sand replenishment will be a welcome sight for a number of people.

I can only hope that the Coastal Protection Board will get it right at Fisherman Bay. I wish all residents all the best in their endeavours to get their land freehold and look forward to it becoming a reality in the near future.

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