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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2023-02-08 Daily Xml
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Colton Electorate Beach Management

Mr COWDREY (Colton) (15:56): I want to thank the more than 1,000 people who have signed my petition calling on the government to take immediate action to rectify the unsafe access issues at Henley South and Henley beaches, and to outline and fund a long-term plan for beach management.

I am now calling on anyone who has not already signed this petition to jump on board, because this is the only way we are going to get action and the only way this government will listen. Because despite everything that has happened at West Beach, and more recently at Henley South and Henley, they have done nothing but drag their heels.

Prior to the 2018 election, I fought for funding for a long-term solution for the issue of longshore drift on our section of beaches. From government, we tasked the environment department with the development of a plan. I stress that the Liberal Party did not put forward the solution; independent experts from the department did. We funded a three-part solution: large-scale replenishment at West Beach, a pipeline to recycle sand that has moved north and is accumulating, and a package of activities to plant and care for dunes.

We knew this issue needed immediate action, as erosion was moving northwards from West Beach. We needed to provide an ability to get sand to beaches that were not easily accessible by truck, like Henley South and Henley Beach, as the degradation seen at West Beach was moving northwards quickly. Sadly, despite the Labor Party installing a similar pipeline on the southern section of beaches between Glenelg and Kingston Park roughly eight years ago, they actively campaigned against a long-term solution to this issue.

The Liberal Party did not come to government with a predetermined idea of what the solution needed to be. As I said, the experts did the work and significant consultation was undertaken. Planning permissions were sought, and construction and operation contracts were signed. The rebuild and nourishment of West Beach had begun. For those who live in or visited West Beach last summer, for the first time in nearly 20 years there was a high tide dry beach in front of the surf club.

Then Labor was elected, and what has happened since? The large-scale fill into West Beach stopped. As to the pipeline that had sand discharge points in Henley South and Henley, the contract was torn up. Instead, we have an environment minister who has declared a conflict of interest, who has stepped away from decision-making on the issue and refuses to answer any questions on the topic in parliament.

Labor's plan is to conduct yet another review, despite multiple reviews having already been conducted on this issue over the past 30 years. Now, nearly 12 months into the life of this government, panel members have only just been appointed but not much more. We do not know if any new options are being proposed or even being considered viable. At the earliest, this review will be completed in a 12-month time frame. At this rate, we are many years away from any real action. You only need to look at Henley, or at Henley South or at West Beach to know that we do not have that sort of time on our hands. We as a community cannot stand by and watch our beaches literally disappear.

I want to make this abundantly clear: I am completely agnostic as to how the sand gets onto our beaches or from where it is sourced. What I do know is that something needs to be done by this government now. I will support any funded, viable solution that restores and maintains our beaches because that is exactly what I have done to date.

You can sign the petition by clicking the link on my Facebook page or by filling out a form at my office, which is located next to the Chicken Cave on Valetta Road in Fulham Gardens. I will keep everyone updated on next steps, but I cannot stress enough that we will have to keep the pressure on this government to get any action on this issue. Our community deserves that.

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