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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2023-11-29 Daily Xml
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Colton Electorate

Mr COWDREY (Colton) (15:36): Today, on behalf of my community I tabled the first set of 500 signatures for my community petition calling on the government to take immediate action to rectify the access issues at Henley Beach and Henley Beach South and to outline and fund a long-term solution for sand management on our central beaches. Do not worry, Mr Speaker, there will be plenty more to come.

It is a shame that it has come to this, but the condition of our central beaches and coastline is an issue of immediate concern for my community, as well as for many others across the state. In particular, I talk about the stretch of beach from West Beach through Henley Beach South and into Henley. This issue has just got worse and spread further north for every year of inaction.

Infrastructure and beach access points at Henley South and Henley Beach have been compromised, and we need a solution to address sand management in the longer term. So far, all we have had from this government is spin and talk. No solutions have been found, no decisions have been taken and no money has been provided or allocated.

Meanwhile, our beaches continue to deteriorate. It has been nearly two years now and what do we have? Absolutely nothing. We have a surf lifesaving club soon to open at West Beach, funded in part by the former Liberal government, and what do we have again? A beach in front of it disappearing. This is a direct result of decisions taken by this government.

While on my feet today, I would also like to take the opportunity to pass on my very best wishes to my community for the Christmas season. We have so many great events happening in the western suburbs over this time of year. It is the time of year when all of a sudden the coastal suburbs come alive. We have Christmas in the Square happening this Sunday 3 December. I look forward to seeing many of my community down there, enjoying the singalong and the carols in the most picturesque of settings in the whole of South Australia, without a shadow of a doubt.

I would also like to take the opportunity to thank the many members of my local community who have volunteered over this year, whether that be through our local sporting and community clubs—we all know the adage that sporting and community clubs do not run without volunteers; that is an adage because it is 100 per cent true—or whether that be my friends at the local Meals on Wheels.

The Henley and Grange branch will be delivering meals across the week leading into Christmas, as they do every other week of the year, to those in our community who need their assistance through not just a meal but also the ability to make contact with somebody. It is a very important role that they undertake and I thank them for their service. To the many other not-for-profit organisations and service delivery organisations that make the western suburbs of Adelaide one of the most amazing places to live, we say thank you.

To our surf lifesavers across the Grange, Henley and West Beach surf clubs, thank you for doing what you do over the summer period, keeping our beaches safe. We know that often we take for granted the water cover that is provided across our coastal beaches, not just obviously for those who live there but those more broadly who come and visit our fantastic part of the world over the summertime.

I would also like to point out that this year the December-January period is going to be one of the most pivotal for two of those clubs. With West Beach, we have the new surf lifesaving club opening in, hopefully, a matter of weeks, a club that was in part funded by the former Marshall Liberal government, an investment that I am very proud to have seen made that will be the gem of infrastructure projects in surf lifesaving clubs. I am sure there will be many clubs that are a little bit jealous about what is about to be opened down there, and we look forward to that happening.

Most importantly as well, the Henley surf club commenced a new venture, with chef Adam Swanson and his business partner Josh Harkin transforming the upper storey of the Henley Surf Life Saving Club into what will be the ocean bar and kitchen. We look forward to seeing that restaurant up and running and seeing the future of all of our surf clubs down the coast, particularly my stretch, a long and prosperous journey as we look forward to keeping our beaches safe. To my community, merry Christmas and enjoy the summer period. We look forward to another year of fun ahead.

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