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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2023-06-28 Daily Xml
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SA Environment Awards

Ms THOMPSON (Davenport) (14:51): My question is to the Deputy Premier. Can the Deputy Premier inform the house about the SA Environment Awards 2023?

The Hon. S.E. CLOSE (Port Adelaide—Deputy Premier, Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science, Minister for Defence and Space Industries, Minister for Climate, Environment and Water) (14:51): I am delighted to talk about the environment awards which, I think as a rarity, in fact, were able to be held on World Environment Day, on 5 June, which was terrific—to be able to line those up rather than trying for some time approximate to.

I would like to run through quickly those people who were recognised at the awards, because—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.E. CLOSE: —some of them—

The SPEAKER: The exchange between the member for Hurtle Vale and the member for Morphett and the contribution from others will cease. Deputy Premier.

The Hon. S.E. CLOSE: —because so many people work—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Member for Reynell!

Mr Patterson interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Member for Morphett, you are warned.

The Hon. S.E. CLOSE: Many people volunteer so many hours, months, years of their lives to bettering the environment for all of us and are rarely recognised more widely, so to have an environmental awards each year is extremely important and, as I observed there on the night, meant a lot to the individuals, both those who were recognised but also their families and those who volunteer alongside them. So I would like to run through those names with the chamber today.

Enid Robertson won Lifetime Achiever; she has been very involved in the conservation and management particularly of native vegetation in South Australia, which has made a significant difference to slowing down biodiversity loss. Neville Bonney many people will know as an author of many books about botany and is a beautiful public speaker as well and enthusiast for preserving our natural environment.

Many, many people here will know Uncle Jeffrey Newchurch, who was recognised, and, I'm sure he wouldn't mind my saying, was very moved by receiving that and slightly overwhelmed, which was delightful given how much he has given not just to the First Nations community, although that is very significant, of course, but, in fact, to all of us in bettering the shared environment.

Pam Catcheside was recognised, again, as a Lifetime Achiever for her establishment of citizens science initiative called FungiMap, which is a way of mapping how much fungi we've got out there, which, if people care about biodiversity, will know that that is also very important. Maureen Christie was awarded Lifetime Achiever Award, and in the context of the question that was asked by the member for Narungga, is very committed to coordinating shorebird monitoring and protecting shorebird species.

Dr Anthony Cheshire won of the Conservation Science Prize for his work in marine research, and Dr Mary Retallack won the Innovation Award. She has been working with winegrowers and producers internationally on making the wine industry more sustainable.

Professor Sarah Wheeler won the Jill Hudson Award for Environmental Protection. Jill died many years ago now, and has been honoured ever since by an award for a special achiever. Professor Wheeler's work was on water policy reform, in particular but not confined to the importance of the River Murray, and it was wonderful to see her recognised.

Rhys Abbott won the Lief Justham Young Achiever Award, an award named after a young man who is no longer with us. Each year I have been, his mother has had the courage to come along as well and give the award personally, and it is a very moving moment for her. Rhys and I are catching up together to talk about his insight into the expectations of young people on how we better protect our environment. James Smith won Green Adelaide's Pelzer Prize for his work on the wildlife of greater Adelaide, creating a legacy by which South Australians can better understand their state's unique biodiversity.

Finally there was an organisational winner in the Working Together Award, which was the KI Feral Pig Eradication Team. I would like to say, for those who haven't heard, that feral pigs have essentially been eradicated from Kangaroo Island, which is a remarkable achievement. There are, I believe, two pigs left, and they are on the hunt for them, but they are not able to breed, and we are hopeful that they have now, in fact, been eradicated.

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