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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2023-11-15 Daily Xml
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Motions

Cleland National Park

Mr BATTY (Bragg) (11:08): I move:

That this house—

(a) acknowledges that 25 November 2023 is the two-year anniversary of Cleland National Park becoming a national park;

(b) recognises the environmental, cultural and social value of South Australia's national parks; and

(c) commends the Marshall Liberal government for its record expansion of national parks in South Australia underpinned by record investment.

South Australia's natural landscapes are one of our greatest assets, and to protect these landscapes we have national parks that can be found right across the state. If you are an avid walker and hiker, like me, you will know that the benefits of these national parks go beyond just an environmental benefit; indeed, they contribute to a uniquely Australian way of life. We are truly fortunate to be able to enjoy this way of life here in Australia, and we are truly fortunate that the previous Liberal government did so much to protect South Australia's natural landscape and environment and to promote everyday public engagement with these open spaces.

I am very lucky to have one of these national parks in my own electorate—indeed, it probably makes up about one-third of my electorate—and that is the globally renowned Cleland National Park. Proclaimed two years ago as part of the previous Liberal government's sweeping record expansion of national parks, Cleland truly is a national treasure that brings great benefits to our local community.

There are many environmental benefits to Cleland National Park. It preserves a very important area of bushland situated in the Adelaide Hills Face Zone and is home to a lot of diverse natural wildlife. Indeed, despite being only about a thousand hectares in size, Cleland is home to over 800 different species of flora and fauna. The fauna in the park ranges from a variety of birdlife, such as the superb blue wrens, to foraging mammals such as the echidna and the endangered southern brown bandicoot. You might be lucky enough to see kangaroos bounding along or koalas high up in the trees.

I want to acknowledge the role of the volunteer groups such as Friends of Cleland National Park, who help to protect that environment and who have done much important work. Over the past 25 years the Friends of Cleland National Park group has done everything from restorative work to the natural landscape to monitoring the endangered southern brown bandicoot with infrared cameras to learn more about these native creatures. It was a pleasure to join the Friends of Cleland group earlier in the year, on a very wet and windy day, for one of their tree plantings, and I thank them for all the work they have done for a few decades now.

It is worth noting that it is passionate groups like this that the former Liberal government saw fit to assist with an increase in the availability of the funding pool for grants to Friends of National Parks groups. It is us, on this side of the house, who will always favour practical environmental outcomes that achieve real green outcomes in our communities.

As I mentioned, it is not just environmental value that we derive from Cleland National Park. There is important social value being delivered there as well, with the park drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors every year from around the world, visitors who come not only to enjoy this rich biodiversity but also the fantastic network of walking and cycling trails and world-class attractions like Waterfall Gully, Mount Lofty Summit and Cleland Wildlife Park.

Mount Lofty is one of Adelaide's most popular walking trails. Indeed, the Waterfall Gully to Mount Lofty trail is the most popular walking trail in the city, with some 600,000 people enjoying it every year—and one of those people is me. Like so many in our local community, I enjoy a weekly climb up the mountain. My best time is approaching 45 minutes now—

The Hon. V.A. Tarzia interjecting:

Mr BATTY: —which I understand is considerably faster than the member for Hartley, who tends to lumber up there a little bit slower in the mornings. That is okay. It is not a race, of course, but an opportunity to enjoy scenic waterfalls, abundant wildlife, sweeping views of Adelaide from the summit as the sun rises and, best of all, coffee from Boris at Base Camp when it is done and dusted. The member for Hartley spends more time having breakfast afterwards than actually exercising up the mountain, I am told.

Another major attraction with the national park is Cleland Wildlife Park. This is a major tourist attraction in my local electorate, just 20 minutes from the city. It allows its 140,000 annual visitors the opportunity to feed kangaroos as they laze, wander the wetlands and surround themselves with 130 species of Australian wildlife. Again, we saw the former Liberal government commence a once-in-a-generational upgrade of Cleland Wildlife Park—the most significant investment in that popular tourism destination for more than two decades—including, importantly, a purpose-built koala holding facility, which is the park's most sought after activity. In fact, I am told that there is a certain koala in residence that resides at Cleland Wildlife Park that is named Vickie after the former member for Bragg. I am sure it is a feisty creature indeed.

Nature-based tourism, which is exemplified in Cleland and perhaps no better than at Cleland, is hugely important. We should always be looking for ways we can improve the visitor experience at our parks and promote these sorts of nature-based tourism experiences. I know that is a focus of the new general manager at Cleland Wildlife Park, Michelle Hocking, who I met with earlier this year. The passion she has for growing the wildlife park into a world-class destination is palpable.

For all those reasons, I commend the former Liberal government for proclaiming Cleland National Park about two years ago to the day. This proclamation as a national park I think better reflects the area's nationally significant environmental and cultural values. Along with the subsequent investments that we saw from the former Liberal government, it provides greater opportunities for visitors, whether they be locals or tourists, to enjoy that national park.

Cleland National Park was just one part of a much wider policy initiative from the former Liberal government, which undertook a very deliberate and record expansion of national parks right across South Australia. This of course was spearheaded by the now Leader of the Opposition during his time as the Minister for Environment. On coming into government in 2018, South Australia had approximately 3.9 million hectares of land in national parks.

Over the following four years, the Liberal Party undertook a record expansion of South Australia's national parks, adding approximately four million hectares, so nearly doubling the size of our national parks right across our state and bringing the total land area under national park categorisation to just over 7.9 million hectares. This meant on leaving government approximately 21 per cent of South Australia's land area was covered by national parks and by other conservation arrangements, which is a historic achievement that we celebrate through this motion today.

These parks are found right across the state, whether it be Glenthorne National Park, which was proclaimed in May 2020 as Adelaide's second metropolitan national park at 545 hectares in size, home to a number of native species and heritage-listed properties, or whether it be the Munga-Thirri—Simpson Desert National Park, proclaimed in November 2021, which is South Australia's and indeed Australia's largest national park at 3.6 million hectares in size, home to a vast desert landscape and the world's largest system of parallel dunes.

Proclaimed at the same time was Lake Frome National Park in November 2021, covering more than 258,000 hectares, covering a salt lake that stretches 100 kilometres long and is 40 kilometres wide. Also proclaimed in November 2021 was the Deep Creek National Park, home to the largest remaining portion of remnant natural vegetation on the south end of the Mount Lofty Ranges and the largest intact area of open forest, woodland and shrubland on Fleurieu Peninsula.

Also in November 2021, we saw the proclamation of the Southern Flinders Ranges National Park. At 8,600 hectares in size, that national park brings together a range of existing conservation parks and is home to over 750 native species of flora and fauna. So we see nearly a doubling of the size of South Australia's national parks over the time of the former Liberal government. We see examples of them right around the state, providing the sort of environmental but also social and cultural benefits that I am trying to recognise in this motion today.

Very importantly, the record expansion of our national park was also underpinned by a record investment in our national parks. The former Liberal government invested the highest amount in history in South Australia's parks. We revitalised parks right across the state, from the Flinders Ranges to Kangaroo Island, protecting our environment while also driving ecotourism and creating local jobs. We have built and funded infrastructure and amenities, just like the infrastructure I spoke of at Mount Lofty and at Cleland National Park, and we boosted grants to Friends of Parks groups, from $60,000 per annum to $750,000 per annum.

What all this means is that South Australians now have access to beautiful open spaces that were once locked away. We have our environment being preserved and protected for us now and for future generations, and we can have more jobs being created with increased nature-based tourism. I celebrate all of our precious national parks. I commend the work of the former Liberal government in this area, and I commend this motion to the house.

Ms HUTCHESSON (Waite) (11:21): I move to amend the motion as follows:

Remove paragraph (c) so that it reads as follows:

That this house—

(a) acknowledges that 25 November 2023 is the two-year anniversary of Cleland National Park becoming a national park; and

(b) recognises the environmental, cultural and social value of South Australia's national parks.

Cleland National Park is not quite in my community but almost, just up the hill. I remember going there quite a while ago, about the start of last year, when someone suggested I might take on the parkrun in Cleland National Park. I had been to a parkrun before. It was pretty easy. I went down there, and let me tell you I have never been back. The hill was the worst thing that I have ever experienced. I encourage you to go and try it, but maybe you might want to come along to our soon-to-be-launched Belair National Park parkrun.

In 1891, something absolutely significant happened, something that has allowed us to continue our work with environmental protection, and it occurred right in my electorate. That was the proclamation of the Belair Recreation Park, which was the state's first national park. It also became the country's second national park and the 10th in the world, right there in my front yard.

The national park is surrounded by multiple suburbs, such is the size of the asset, and that includes Upper Sturt, Glenalta and Belair. But we fast-forward through the years and the establishment of over 350 parks and reserves covering more than 20 per cent of our state to 2021 and the proclamation of Cleland as a national park. As I mentioned, the parkrun was not exactly wonderful, but the park itself is incredible. The beautiful and valuable protected areas conserve the important ecosystems, habitats, flora and fauna, unique land formations and culturally significant places.

Our parks across the state help ensure we continue to have clean air, soil and water and contribute to the global efforts to conserve biodiversity against the impacts of climate change. For Aboriginal people, protected areas are invaluable in maintaining connections to their country. Some parks are co-managed by Aboriginal groups, and the state government's co-management of national parks combines Aboriginal knowledge with Western park management.

Cleland National Park conserves an important area of bushland. Situated in the Adelaide Hills Face Zone, one of South Australia's most popular walking trails traverses this unique area from Waterfall Gully to Mount Lofty Summit. Every weekend, as mentioned, hundreds and hundreds of keen and fit people take to Waterfall Gully, take to the mount and walk up to the summit. As I understand, those opposite have a bit of a competition as to how fast, but our own member for Gibson can do it in 42 minutes—so, pretty impressive.

I remember going to Cleland a lot as a child as well and cuddling koalas, feeding kangaroos and, of course, being chased by emus, and maybe that is why I am slightly scared of them these days. But the wildlife that is available there—for anyone to go to see from all over the country or when they come to visit from all over the world—is just incredible.

Now, you know I love a bit of history, so here are my findings. In 1945, the government purchased at auction the Obelisk Estate that now comprises the bulk of Cleland National Park. In 1965, the development of the native fauna zone got underway and was officially opened to the public in April 1967. The conservation park was named for Sir John Burton Cleland (1878 to 1971), a renowned naturalist, microbiologist, mycologist, ornithologist and a member of the Royal Society of South Australia. After a career in medicine and pathology, Cleland became keenly interested in wildlife conservation.

I also remember the fateful day that Ash Wednesday all but destroyed the lookout, and the toll it took on the park and its vegetation was extreme. On reading the March to June 1983 edition of The Volunteer, which I have here—it is very exciting—it reported on the impact of these fires at Cleland and at Mount Lofty. It said:

Strong winds drove the fire across Waterfall Gully into Cleland Conservation Park. The fire also spotted over the golf course and sped up both sides of the South-Eastern Freeway to Crafers and Waverley Ridge Road, burnt out the famous Eagle-on-the-Hill Hotel and B.P. petrol station opposite, and met motorists arriving at Crafers via The Upper Sturt Road—it was everywhere…

Fire leapt the road ahead of C.F.S. volunteers and as they were about to make a stand at the Crafers Primary School the arrival of the south-west wind change steered the fires back towards Piccadilly and Mount Lofty, burning paddocks and trees.

It also said:

At the Mount Lofty Kiosk only the cement obelisk built in 1902 to mark Matthew Flinders visit to the S.A. coast remained.

The 98 year old Flinders Column, built in 1885 as a trigonometric survey station was established to calculate local latitude and longitude of places near Adelaide and as a landmark to aid navigation. A plate commemorating Matthew Flinders was attached to the tower in 1902 by poet Lord Alfred Tennyson, in honour of the discovery and naming of Mt. Lofty Ranges in 1802. Flinders Column used as a fire spotting tower until a few months, was soon to be converted to a museum.

The history is there, the beauty is there and, in addition to projects that we understand the opposition undertook, we know that our parks are worth protecting. As the motion suggests, we need to not only recognise but protect the environmental, cultural and social value of all our national parks and it is because of that that we must continue to invest in them.

In addition to projects that improve and upgrade trails and infrastructure in parks, our government has also undertaken the following initiatives. As part of its election commitments, we committed $3 million in funding over four years to support Friends of Parks groups, to work in national parks and across the broader landscape on activities including weeding, planting, seed collecting and other nature restoration actions.

This funding also supports the building of Friends of Parks volunteer skills and capacity, including four wheel drive handling, first aid and cultural awareness training. I am fortunate to have quite a number of Friends of Parks groups who are lovingly supported by our rangers: Friends of Belair, Friends of Sturt Gorge, Friends of Brownhill Creek, Waite Conservation Reserve, Shepherds Hill Reserve—they are full of volunteers who do an incredible job.

Our government also committed to increasing the number of co-managed parks in partnership with traditional owners to support First Nations people to take the lead in caring for their country. We entered into co-management with the Kaurna people in 2022 over Aldinga Conservation Park, Adelaide International Bird Sanctuary National Park and Torrens Island Conservation Park.

We have also committed to entering into co-management with the Nukunu people, and we are currently finalising the co-management agreement for Wapma Thura—Southern Flinders Ranges National Park. There are now 13 co-management agreements covering 37 parks. This equates to 65 per cent of the area of the state's parks and reserve system, or 13 per cent of the total land area in the state.

We acknowledge that the traditional owners of this land managed it and its native vegetation for 65,000 years and as such we need this collaboration. We need to listen and act, and we need to support emerging Aboriginal rangers who have a connection to country we can only begin to hope to understand.

Because of this, a further important election commitment was the employment of an additional 15 Aboriginal rangers over four years with funding of $5 million. Increasing the representation of these rangers will lead to greater involvement of Aboriginal people in the management of protected areas and greater opportunities to care for country and establish career pathways. This will, in turn, enhance the capability of the National Parks and Wildlife Service to manage our national parks. These rangers are working across the regions of South Australia and are performing the full range of duties associated with the National Parks and Wildlife Service ranger roles.

Our parks are so incredibly important, especially to my community. They are an asset that needs protecting, celebrating and enjoying. I move this amendment so we can all celebrate Cleland and all our national parks.

Mr McBRIDE (MacKillop) (11:30): I rise today to speak to the motion moved by the member for Bragg in support of the importance of recognising the environmental, cultural and social value of South Australia's national parks. I commend the previous government for initiating a study that provided insight into the enormous contribution national parks provide our state. The study highlighted the more than $374 million that our national parks and reserves contribute to the state economy every year. In addition, it highlighted the wide range of indirect benefits to the local economy. This includes revenue raised by visitor spending on items such as accommodation, food and fuel at nearby businesses.

Within the MacKillop electorate, we are fortunate to have some 68 parks and conservation reserves that stretch over more than 117,000 hectares. These parks generate $35 million to regional economies and support over 100 jobs in the private sector. They contain features and landscapes containing vegetation, flora and fauna unique to the area. They allow for a multitude of activities to occur, such as fishing, boating, hunting, camping, walking, birdwatching and windsurfing.

Highest visitation occurs at the World Heritage-listed Naracoorte Caves and at the sandy coasts and lagoons of the Coorong National Park. More than 90,000 people visited the World Heritage-listed Naracoorte Caves from 1 January to 31 December 2022.

The coastal parks of Little Dip, Beachport and Canunda continue to grow in visitor numbers each year, particularly from four-wheel drive enthusiasts and campers from Victoria. We have a beautiful balance that exists in the region, where the portion of parks that are set aside to conserve our vegetation provide refuge for our birds and fauna species. They also allow recreation use for tourists, complementing the developed world they sit amongst.

Whilst areas have been drained over the years to enhance agricultural productivity, we still manage to have some of the largest areas of natural wetlands in South Australia, like Bool Lagoon, which provides a refuge and breeding environment for hundreds of bird species. This balance is further supported by recent discoveries of fauna, including the spotted-tail quoll near Beachport. This endangered marsupial has not been seen in the region for 130 years, raising hope that a local population may exist. Populations of the southern bent-wing bat continue to be discovered. They have the amazing ability to consume three-quarters of their body weight in insects each day, an example of a natural predator coexisting with surrounding primary production.

Our parks also provide a refuge for these animals during some of Australia's regular droughts. To date, we have struck a balance that has meant a low footprint on the natural environment within the region. We have managed to provide four-wheel drive tracks that are remote and challenging enough for visitors so the need to stray from these tracks is minimised. This ensures that the vast majority of vegetation that exists in the region remains untouched. In some cases, it is as it was 100 years ago.

The cultural value of our parks can also not be understated. I welcome initiatives like the South Australian Tourism Commission's Aboriginal Tourism Action Plan. This provides a framework to encourage investment in new and existing Aboriginal tourism products and experiences. The plan encourages the fostering of strong partnerships between community groups, private investors and local, state and federal governments.

Coorong National Park is of great cultural significance to the Ngarrindjeri people. Environmental programs like Healthy Coorong, Healthy Basin further support the need for knowledge-sharing of landscape practices. Our parks and wildlife, Landscape board employees, research partners, community groups and volunteers do an amazing job managing our parks for the benefit of many.

They conduct bird monitoring surveys, undertake pest, plant and animal control, carry out revegetation issues and are involved in community engagement and land management. It is important that, with increases in visitor numbers to our parks, adequate funding and resources are allocated to provide the necessary infrastructure and additional education and marketing information that is required.

There is an opportunity for partnerships with Victoria to capitalise on tours and activities within the MacKillop region. We should build on the interest from Victorian visitors and link tourism routes from Melbourne to Adelaide to capitalise on some of the $440 million that is generated from the Great Ocean Road tourists.

Further opportunity exists to bring education and research facilities into our parks, allowing students to learn about the natural environment. We are very fortunate for the foresight of many before us that has allowed for the protection and preservation of our parks while at the same time complementing our primary production.

Our parks provide tremendous opportunities for economic, cultural and educational initiatives well into the future. I commend the motion to the house and thank the member for Bragg for highlighting the importance of our national parks.

Mr TEAGUE (Heysen) (11:35): I am very pleased to rise in support of the motion in the form moved by the member for Bragg, of course. It is really passing curious that the government would see fit to move an amendment to the motion that would remove a recognition of what is uncontroversially a record expansion of national parks that has occurred in South Australia and underpinned by record investment.

I think it is uncontroversially a good thing that we have seen this record expansion of national parks. We know that the State of South Australia has a uniquely precious and, if I might say, delicate natural environment, particularly in the arid parts of the state to the north.

We do well to learn more about being a good custodian of the natural areas of the state, and we are also in a uniquely capable position in terms of being able to dedicate these spaces so that we can improve the natural environment and make a real difference to our appreciation both as South Australians and for the benefit of visitors who come to our state and appreciate all that we have to offer in the natural environment.

We are indeed fortunate to live in this most spectacular part of the world, and it is well to recognise and commend the Marshall Liberal government for that record expansion of national parks in South Australia underpinned by record investments. So I really would emphasise the importance of paragraph (c) in the motion as it has been moved by the member for Bragg.

The motion focuses on Cleland National Park becoming a national park. Many people would say, 'Well, that's high time'. They would have thought, 'Well, Cleland is known as part of the scenery for really all South Australians.' Most of us really do not have too much of a clear memory of South Australia without Cleland Wildlife Park, opening as it did back in 1967, and right from the beginning playing a very central role in terms of being a public interface for encounters with wildlife and in turn the development of a better appreciation and knowledge of wildlife, both wildlife that is present in the local area in the Adelaide Hills and also examples of wildlife that are found throughout the state.

So it is a real place at which someone can come as a visitor and have an immersive experience and really see the benefits of seeing animals behaving in their natural environment, together with the opportunities to learn from experts who are there at Cleland. I want to say a few particular words of appreciation to Chris Daniels in a moment.

I often reflect on the comparison to wildlife parks in other parts of the country, and I keep in mind Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary in Brisbane, for example, as a comparator. As the name implies, it has been perhaps most well known for its opportunity to interact with koalas and, particularly for overseas visitors coming to Australia, it is a place where people go in large numbers to see koalas. There is a sort of production line of foliage that is brought in to feed the large number of koalas that are there and ready for interaction with the visitors.

I often reflect on the relative modesty of the experience at Cleland, at the relatively more intimate and, if I might say, natural setting in which one has the opportunity to interact, particularly with koalas but also with other animals, and really say we have something very special and uniquely South Australian in Cleland and we are well to appreciate that. It has often been observed that Cleland is one of those first places that South Australians will take their visitors when they are coming for the first time to our state. I know that is particularly true for those visitors of my constituents who are coming for the first time to the Adelaide Hills. They have Cleland right on their doorstep and they can go an have this wonderful experience there right away.

Of course, the current general manager is Michelle Hocking and she has been in the role for a little more than a year. We recognise and wish Michelle Hocking well in the work she is doing. One of Michelle's recent predecessors Chris Daniels was in the role of director for a period of not quite two years, from the middle of 2018 until the middle of 2020.

Apart from wanting to highlight his well-known credentials as not only an expert but a leading communicator in terms of wildlife and the natural environment, I want to recognise that the time that Chris Daniels was director of Cleland coincided in particular with those devastating fires that destroyed much of Kangaroo Island. His response in terms of finding opportunities for Cleland to play a role in terms of a public face for both learning and rescue, particularly in relation to koalas, was something that Chris Daniels took full advantage of.

I first knew Chris Daniels in the context of his work with the Nature Foundation of South Australia and he has been involved in so many ways, including now pressing on with advocacy for greening urban areas. He has of course worked with the Leader of the Opposition during his time as Minister for Environment in that very important work, and I wish Chris Daniels well as he continues in that regard.

To highlight where Cleland sits, in the broader picture, as has been observed in the course of the debate, it sits in the Adelaide Hills and really is surrounded by all kinds of efforts to work effectively for the improvement of the natural environment by local friends groups and those who are focused on particular small parks in the surrounding area. Just one example, but a very good one, is the Sturt Upper Reaches Landcare Group. They gathered for their AGM just last evening. Unfortunately, those of us engaged in the parliament late last night, including me, were not able to therefore join with the group.

They are working tremendously well to advance the Bandicoot Superhighway, as it is known in our local area, by improving bandicoot habitat, management and guidelines. As I do regularly—I hope enough—I just want to single out for particular recognition in that regard my friend Danny Rohrlach, who is the President of the Sturt Upper Reaches Landcare Group. He was in fine form and leading the way last night. I am sure that Cleland will continue to play a central role, as will these very important groups, as we work towards improving the natural environment going forward into the future.

Mr PEDERICK (Hammond) (11:46): I rise to support the original motion by the member for Bragg in support of Cleland National Park, and national parks in general in South Australia, by noting:

That this house—

(a) acknowledges that 25 November 2023 is the two-year anniversary of Cleland National Park becoming a national park;

(b) recognises the environmental, cultural and social value of South Australia's national parks; and

(c) commends the Marshall Liberal government for its record expansion of national parks in South Australia underpinned by record investment.

When we came to government in 2018 there were approximately 3.9 million hectares under control in national parks. Over the following four years there was a record expansion, and this added approximately 4 million hectares, which essentially doubled the national parks in this state, so it was around 7.9 million hectares. This meant that when we left government approximately 21 per cent of South Australia's land area was covered by national parks and other conservation arrangements.

Cleland National Park, being located just on the edge of Adelaide, is an ideal place to take visitors or to go as a local to visit. I have been privileged to go there several times with guests, and they have a great time checking out the wildlife, the flora, and the fauna of Cleland. The beauty of it is that because it is so close to a major population base, being Adelaide, it is so accessible.

I do not get too excited about climbing Mount Lofty—I will leave that up to others—but I am sure it is exciting. It is good that this is so close to those in the city who might not have the opportunities that those of us who live further out have, in getting a bit more fresh air, especially when we do not have to be here. It is great for people from all walks of life as it is quite accessible. You can get up there—you do not have to climb Mount Lofty—to enjoy it. That is the total beauty of it: getting up close to kangaroos in a park setting. We see plenty of them in nature out on our farms, but it is a real privilege to take people there to enjoy the facilities of the park.

Some of the parks that were created as part of the expansion, apart from Cleland, were Glenthorne National Park and Munga-Thirri—Simpson Desert National Park, which is Australia's largest national park at 3.6 million hectares, and there are obviously others alongside of that. As part of this investment, there have been new trails put in, new car parks and new visitor facilities, which has demonstrated our commitment to preserving these areas.

Cleland was proclaimed in 2021 and comprises over 1,000 hectares. As I said, it is a fantastic national park. Glenthorne is 545 hectares and then we have Munga-Thirri—Simpson Desert National Park, which was proclaimed in November 2021. It has the world's largest system of parallel dunes and has extensive spinifex grasslands and acacia woodlands.

Something I want to do one day is cross the Simpson and have a look at some of those parallel dunes. I have had the opportunity to be up at Birdsville and out at Big Red on that end of that park. It certainly tests the abilities of the Toyota Prado, but it can get up on Big Red from either side—I have proved that—and without letting the tyres down.

Most people travel towards Birdsville from the north northwest, which is the way to come, and I am really looking forward to doing that trip one day. It is not recommended to do it with a camper trailer, but people do it and I have seen some different combinations go through the couple of times I have been up there. You see cars come in with their windscreens missing and they have had a bit of fun. It will be a great drive to do one day and come across those dunes.

Ngarkat national park, which is right near where I am at Coomandook, is 271,000 hectares and was first proclaimed in 1979. I farmed next to Ngarkat down at Tintinara for five years. It is always interesting when you are farming next to a national park the amount of wildlife, kangaroos and emus that come in and test your cropping ability.

I have mentioned in this place before the frustration that farmers have farming next to national parks. It does not seem to matter which colour of government it is, the legislation says the government may assist with the cost of fencing. Well, every neighbour I have worked with, you go halves in one way, shape or form on fencing. I think that is something that needs to be addressed, because the only way to fence successfully against a park like that is to have two-metre high fencing to keep the native animals on the right side and keep your animals on the good side.

Ngarkat as a mallee park, preserving that biodiversity, has been a great place that we have enjoyed for decades, getting out there with friends and camping on long weekends. It runs from up near Lameroo down towards Keith. I have had quite a few trips in there to Baan Hill and other places such as Box Flat. Box Flat has some great memories of how much fun you can have there.

When I was leasing a property called Emu Springs at Tintinara I did what you should not normally do in a park. You are supposed to go the way the wind blows with the sand dunes. I had this old three-speed Toyota and I went the other way to get to Box Flat. I went north instead of south. We got there alright but we must have been within probably less than a kilometre or two and the front axle let go. That was not very helpful because I had a heavily pregnant wife at the time who was with me, but I had plenty of supplies, if we got caught. I told my friends, 'Look, we are running a bit late. Come and get us.' That did not happen, but I had suddenly realised we were not far from where we needed to be. But we have had some great fun.

They are great places to enjoy and to enjoy the solitude of those parks that are further out. They are great for groups, great if you are on your own, and great for the family to get out and get away from it all and do a bit of camping. Certainly, in light of the closer parks, they are very close for people to visit.

Just on Ngarkat, as we come into the fire season, it can be a bit of a magnet for lightning strikes—it seems that way—and at times there have been fires of about 80,000 hectares. You see great burn scars on some of the old mapping and how much land has burnt at times, so it is something to be aware of with these parks. They are having a goat cull there, I think, from tomorrow for a few days. But it is a magnificent spot. As a firefighter, the best way to fight a park fire like that is to sit on the edge and wait for it to come to you.

I commend the motion and I commend the way we have assisted the preservation of flora and fauna in this state.

Mr TELFER (Flinders) (11:56): I rise to speak in favour of this motion in its original form. In doing so, I want to especially recognise the environmental, cultural and social value of South Australia's national parks and recognise that, in my electorate, there are three in particular: the Lincoln National Park, the Coffin Bay National Park and the Gawler Ranges National Park. There are many other national parks and conservation parks and heritage areas within my electorate.

If you have been to Eyre Peninsula, well, you are very blessed. I am blessed to live there. If you have visited, you are a bit blessed. We have a unique environment, breathtaking, and highlighted especially by these national parks. For this motion to recognise the environmental, cultural and social value of those parks is really important. The Port Lincoln and Coffin Bay national parks have rolling sandhills, majestic cliffs, beautiful beaches and bays, and they are certainly very much appreciated by my community and the community of people who visit those natural wonders of our environment.

The Gawler Ranges National Park is probably one that even fewer people have experienced. Its unique inland beauty is accentuated by granite rocks that are outcrops towering over the landscape. It is a unique experience that I certainly commend to anyone in this house to experience camping in that Gawler Ranges National Park, experiencing that unique environment.

I think as decision-makers it is incumbent upon us to make sure that when we are making decisions around national parks we get the balance right, making sure that we are aware of the environmental, cultural and social value of these parks. We need to make sure they are able to be utilised and appreciated by our population.

I recognise that these environments obviously need to be protected. They need to be looked after but we should not be placing hurdles in front of people to visit our parks. We should make sure that these parks and environments are accessible and not cost prohibitive. Many in my community cannot afford expensive holidays away, gallivanting around the country, but we always appreciate the opportunity to go camping in our national parks over a weekend or a few days. It has been and should continue to be an affordable option for people to get away with their family to experience our unique environment and to do so in a way that is able to be accessed by so many.

Let's make sure when we are making decisions in this place that we do not make this experience unaffordable by getting the balance wrong. We need to make sure that we are looking after the environment in these parks, absolutely, but we should be doing so in a way that allows that natural environment to be accessed by our local people now and into the future. It is that balance I talk about between environmental, social and cultural values.

As has already been mentioned in this place, the social structure of regional communities is built around our environment, whether that is in national parks or in the rest of our beautiful regional South Australia. These national parks give an insight into the natural environment that should be able to be accessed by all, and I hope decision-makers continue to make sure they can be accessed by all.

The previous Marshall Liberal government did invest a significant amount of money into national parks right across South Australia, and I would like to especially note the work done by the previous environment minister investing in national parks, and not just the ones close by. I know paragraph (a) of this motion refers to Cleland National Park, but investment into national parks all around our state was a hallmark of the previous Liberal government. The vision with which that government approached national parks was well appreciated by the community; to invest in them, to give a variety of experiences, to make available a high level of experience for those who may not have been to our national parks, to still keep the option open for people to be able to camp, to pitch a tent or take a campervan or a swag to those national parks, that sort of variety of experience.

As I said, it is an amazing environment that is able to be experienced, especially within the national parks in my electorate, and that should continue to be allowed. We should not fall into the trap of trying to close off aspects of our national parks, to lean too heavily into the protection of the environmental value. We all recognise that the unique flora and fauna within our national parks needs to be protected, but let us not forget about the cultural and social value national parks give us as well.

May the investment into our national parks continue to expand, and I hope that the current minister, the current government, does have an eye on regional South Australia and the national parks within the regions, because the amount of money generated for our economy that is driven by regional tourism is incredible. I have often spoken in this place about the amount spent within the Eyre Peninsula and tourism goals that are already being exceeded—the 2025 tourism goal has already been exceeded—and the way we can continue to attract people to visit South Australia, both from within the state and from interstate and overseas, hinges around our unique environment—none more so than within our national parks.

Once again, I would like to commend and congratulate the previous government for the vision for our national parks. I hope some of that enthusiasm and vision has rubbed off on the department and that the work can continue under this government. This is what sets us in South Australia, especially in regional South Australia, apart—our beautiful untouched wildlife, environment and nature, especially on the wild west coast of South Australia.

The Hon. D.G. PISONI (Unley) (12:03): I rise to speak on the motion in its sensible and commendable original form. It is disappointing that the government has chosen to ignore facts in its amendment, but they have the numbers and this will become the motion. However, it is important that we do recognise when governments do the right thing.

To this day I thank Paul Keating for the compulsory superannuation program, and acknowledge that it was a Labor government, under Paul Keating as the then Treasurer, that brought that in to Australia. It means we are the only OECD country in the world that is actually seeing a smaller financial burden for retirees in 10 years' time than every other country, which is seeing a much larger financial burden for working taxpayers in supporting its retired citizens, just like the initiatives, the commitment, of the former Marshall government in national parks was a continuation of some very early work that started here in South Australia.

In 1872, Yellowstone National Park in the United States was the first national park in the world. Then in South Australia, just 19 years later, Belair National Park was proclaimed, only the second in Australia. We were still a colony at that time. Federation was not formed. We were a colony after Tasmania, after Victoria and after New South Wales, yet we were the second colony to embrace the concept that was started in the United States just 19 years earlier with Belair National Park.

We should be celebrating those governments for doing that. They took those risks. At times, they are risks, because you do not always have social licence when you are doing something that has not been done before, but what a difference it has made to the lifestyle that we enjoy in South Australia having parks like Belair, the second in the country, to Cleland, which was proclaimed by the now opposition leader as environment minister as part of his role being responsible for national parks in South Australia.

Living in Unley, we often have the national parks coming to us. When my kids were very young, they were very excited one day when, just a couple of trees down the road, there was a koala in our street. There are no gum trees in our street—it is a street of jacarandas—but there was the koala. On two occasions in recent months, we have had kangaroos hopping down Unley Road. Of course, we are between the Parklands and the national parks to our immediate south in the Mitcham foothills. It is a very shady pathway.

I remember it was not that long ago when our American friends used to think it was every day you would see kangaroos in the suburban streets in Adelaide. We used to laugh at them and say, 'You are watching too many cartoons,' or, 'You believe the stereotypes about living in Australia,' but we are seeing that happen. It is important that the parks are there for public use. They are there to be enjoyed. They are linked, particularly for biodiversity and particularly for the fauna that frequents our green space so fauna can move through the suburbs.

I would like to see a bigger emphasis on the southern Parklands in particular, beyond the halfway point between South Terrace and Greenhill Road. There is a stark contrast between the density of trees and how green the Parklands are for about 200 metres south of South Terrace compared to about 200 metres or so north of Greenhill Road. It is almost like someone has drawn a line, saying, 'This is the area we are interested in, Parklands adjacent to South Terrace. Parklands south of that, adjacent to Greenhill Road, can be left to their own devices.'

In summertime in particular it means, unless it is a sporting field, it is not a terribly attractive place to visit, and so people tend to get ideas about using that space for something else other than parkland. I am a strong advocate that, if we invested more in our parklands, our parklands would be destinations for people from all over Adelaide to come to enjoy, not just for playing sport but coming to spend the day with their children. We are fortunate we do have in the South Parklands BMX tracks and the TreeClimb. We have things that make the South Parklands a destination.

We are seeing more use of land that was otherwise used for commercial purposes on Greenhill Road within the City of Unley. That is now being used for residential accommodation. I know that there was a late change for, I think, 56 Greenhill Road, Wayville. There was going to be an office complex, and then of course we saw a big increase in office vacancy rates. Very astutely, that developer decided then to develop an apartment complex, which has been extremely successful. The timing has been very good because we are seeing more and more people wanting to downsize.

When they do downsize, they do not want to move very far from where they brought up their families, and so being able to buy quality apartments within five kilometres of where they have spent the last 30-odd years raising their families in their own communities has been a success. Of course, because they have moved from homes with gardens to apartments, any access to public open space is important. Consequently, that is why I would like to see more of the public open space that we have access to.

It has really been ignored by those councils where those suburbs sit, directly adjacent from the Parklands. Technically, they are the responsibility of the City of Adelaide. The City of Adelaide does not have ratepayers on the extremity of those roads, whether it be Fullarton Road, Dequetteville Terrace or Greenhill Road, and so very little money is spent on beautifying and maintaining those spaces compared with other parts of Parklands, compared with North Adelaide, for example, where it is surrounded by City of Adelaide ratepayers.

I would like to see collaboration between those councils that abut the City of Adelaide to invest in the Parklands that are of interest to the residents who live just outside the Parklands ring in those inner suburban suburbs. Thank goodness for the investment of the Marshall government in our national parks and in particular Cleland National Park, two years ago next week.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER (Morialta—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (12:13): The motion from the member for Bragg is an excellent one, highlighting the critical importance, the environmental, cultural and social value of Cleland National Park and indeed South Australia's national parks more broadly. The motion recognises the record investment and expansion in national parks by the Marshall government.

I will reflect briefly first on Cleland National Park and then more broadly on our national parks and the Marshall government's expansion of them. Cleland National Park is an amazing place. Many South Australians have had the opportunity to experience it. Its environmental value is significant. Certainly, its protection of koalas and other native species, including endangered species, over many years has been a conservation effort of significant value. It is an important part of our Adelaide Hills, and its pest management/bushfire control responsibilities are not insignificant to its neighbouring properties, but I want to reflect on its social value to South Australians.

Cleland National Park was probably one of my very favourite places in the world when I was a small child. Indeed, many of my earliest memories of being with my family, and in particular my mother, were of her taking me to Cleland National Park—an opportunity on the weekend or during the week before I was in school. I have very vivid and strong memories of being able to engage with nature, being able to engage with animals, and indeed my mum, while visiting Cleland National Park.

I have almost no memories of my paternal grandmother, Eve Gardner. The only memory that I really can recall, apart from her funeral, was again of being at Cleland National Park. She was an animal rights activist and well known in Greens circles in South Australia. Her passion for animals and the protection of cats and dogs and native species was well regarded and reported by many, but she did not play a significant role in my childhood.

However, I do have vivid memories of being at Cleland with mum, and helping to push grandma around in a wheelchair. I have a memory of her refusing to even swat a fly that was sitting on her face because she was so concerned about the welfare of the fly. You can imagine how much she appreciated seeing me as her grandson being so keen to engage with the animals that were so well treated at Cleland and given wide open spaces to roam in an appropriate natural environment.

That is the sort of memory—not that specific one, obviously—of the engagement with nature that I am sure is shared by thousands to tens of thousands of South Australians. So I place on the record—to everybody who has worked or engaged or supported Cleland National Park—the importance of that endeavour. The work done by the former Marshall Liberal government two years ago in having it declared as a national park I think provides those extra protections and recognition of the significant environmental, cultural and social value of it and our other national parks.

The motion as currently framed, which 'commends the Marshall Liberal government for its record expansion of national parks in South Australia underpinned by record investment' is an important part of the motion because, of course, there has been an election and there is a new government, and the significant endeavours of the Marshall Liberal government, led by its environment minister, the now Leader of the Opposition—not just at Cleland but also in the establishment of Glenthorne National Park and in the expansion and establishment of parks elsewhere around South Australia and the investment in them, the significant multimillion dollar investments in our national parks infrastructure and environmental infrastructure—really should be a clarion call to the new government of the expectations the South Australian people will have of them to deliver for our parks in South Australia in the years ahead.

If the Labor Party, through the amendment that has been tabled in the house to delete this historical recognition of the investment in national parks, carries through and votes against paragraph (c) of the motion, then it will just tell me and all South Australians that they are ashamed that they have not met the standards set by the former government, by the member for Dunstan as Premier and the Leader of the Opposition as environment minister. The only reason I think that they would be ashamed of having paragraph (c) in this motion is if they have no intention of meeting the standard that was set by the former government.

I hope that my children and tens of thousands of other South Australian children will have extraordinary personal moments at Cleland and other national parks with their families that they will be able to cherish in the years ahead, just as I cherish my memories, particularly with my mum but also with my grandma and, frankly, any other range of people who would come to South Australia. It was always a great opportunity and an excuse to visit Cleland again. As a child, I was never wanting of that excuse; I was always keen to take it. As a parent, I now take the opportunity wherever I can to say yes to my kids if they ask for that, and I just hope that they will continue to do so.

Mr BATTY (Bragg) (12:19): In closing the debate, I want to thank the member for Waite, the member for MacKillop, the member for Heysen, the member for Hammond, the member for Flinders, the member for Unley and the member for Morialta for their contributions to this debate. That is seven members of this house representing very different parts of South Australia but all with a reasonably united view that we should be celebrating our national parks and the benefits they bring.

I think it has been worthwhile to acknowledge some of those various benefits right across the state and get some insights into national parks and open spaces in various local communities right across South Australia. This is important not just here in Adelaide, not just in my own electorate in Bragg where we have Cleland National Park, but right across the breadth of South Australia.

We do have an amendment that has been moved by the member for Waite to remove paragraph (c) of my motion. I must say that this is an unusually modest amendment. I half expected to walk in today and see an amendment seeking to congratulate the Malinauskas Labor government on the trees having grown faster under their term, or something of the kind, in their usual self-congratulatory tone. But while modest—

Ms Hutchesson interjecting:

Mr BATTY: We deal with facts, though. While modest, this amendment is still curious because all it seeks to do is remove two fairly, I would have thought, uncontroversial facts. The first of those facts is that the former Liberal government undertook a record expansion of our national parks. We can see that simply in the numbers. We went from 3.9 million hectares of national park to 7.9 million hectares of national park—a record expansion, and uncontroversial fact, undertaken by the former Liberal government.

This was also undertaken with a record investment in our national parks. In fact, it was the highest amount in South Australian history being spent on our parks during the former Liberal government. We invested in infrastructure and amenities in parks right across the state. We increased park rangers and we boosted funding to Friends of Parks groups.

Perhaps, we can see the benefits of this investment no better than in Cleland National Park, which this motion is celebrating today, where the previous government invested particularly around Mount Lofty and Waterfall Gully to make Adelaide's most popular walking trail even better with a $5 million project that has seen significantly upgraded trails, amenities and signage in that area.

Importantly, the former Liberal government also invested in additional car parking around Chambers Gully. The climb up the mountain in the morning is supposed to be difficult. What is not supposed to be so difficult is finding a car park down the bottom and for many in my community that is often half the battle. This additional investment from the former government has gone some way in alleviating that problem, but it is still a problem particularly on weekends.

I want to continue to fight for any measures in this place that might make the Waterfall Gully/Mount Lofty Trail more accessible and easier to access, whether that is shuttle buses perhaps on weekends, whether it is additional infrastructure that is required or whether it is as simple as trying to encourage people to park at the top and walk down and do it back-to-front. Anything we can do to make it easier for locals to enjoy this great asset should be considered.

I commend the motion in its original form to the house celebrating the two-year anniversary of Cleland National Park, recognising the environmental, cultural and social value of all our parks right across the state and also noting two uncontroversial facts: that there was a record expansion of national parks under the former Liberal government and that it was underpinned by a record investment in our national parks by the former Liberal government.

Amendment carried; motion as amended carried.

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