House of Assembly - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, First Session (54-1)
2019-09-24 Daily Xml

Contents

Kangaroo Island Slipway

1105 The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL (Mawson) (11 September 2019). With regards to Kangaroo Island:

(a) What is the status of the Kangaroo Island slipway at Kingscote? Has it been closed?

(b) What is the closest slipway to Kingscote where people can lift their boats in and out of the water?

(c) Can you please advise why you have not included local users and the wider Kangaroo Island community in discussions about this vitally important piece of local infrastructure?

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL (Schubert—Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Local Government, Minister for Planning): I have been advised the following—

(a) Operations at the Kangaroo Island slipway ceased from 1 July 2019. DPTI will shortly be commencing the process to decommission the site.

(b) The alternative locations where people can lift boats in and out of the water is dependent upon the size of the vessel, with locations at Port Adelaide, Port Lincoln, and Wirrina Cove Marina.

(c) Local users and the wider Kangaroo Island community were included in a public consultation meeting in December 2015 which was also attended by the commercial fishing sector, recreational fishing sector, relevant government agencies, Kangaroo Island Council and the Commissioner for Kangaroo Island. Further consultation occurred and culminated in the publishing of a Regional Impact Assessment Statement on the PIRSA website.

On 5 June 2019, DPTI wrote to the Kangaroo Island Council regarding the closure of the Kingscote slipway on 30 June 2019 and notification provided to recent users of the closure.

On 15 July 2019, following a letter received from council, DPTI again wrote to Kangaroo Island Council advising the decision to close the facility centred on safety concerns, with significant capital improvements required to ensure that its ongoing operational, safety and environmental performance complied with current regulatory standards. DPTI statistics also indicate that only ten vessels were authorised to use the slipway in the last three years which is considered a low usage rate.

DPTI will continue to keep council informed on the decommissioning of the slipway as it progresses.