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Legislative Council - Fifty-First Parliament, Second Session (51-2)
2007-11-20 Daily Xml
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SEARCY BAY

The Hon. M. PARNELL (15:20): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Urban Development and Planning a question about housing development at Searcy Bay.

Leave granted.

The Hon. M. PARNELL: A number of months ago the Friends of Scale Bay made a request for government intervention to avoid the inevitable approval of a clifftop house at Searcy Bay. I also wrote to the minister about that. Notwithstanding requests and advice from a range of government agencies and conservation groups, the Streaky Bay District Council's development assessment panel chose to ignore that advice and gave approval to allow the house to be built in a most prominent and environmentally critical location.

I understand that the location currently proposed for this house has a healthy representation of established coastal native plants which would need to be bulldozed if the house was to be built in its preferred location. I understand that these species were detailed for the assessment development panel in a submission made by the natural resources management board, which submission was ultimately rejected.

The reason for much of the environmental concern around this housing was the proximity of osprey nests (the osprey is classified as rare) and white-bellied sea eagles (classified as vulnerable). My questions to the minister are:

1. What steps will the government now take to ensure the best environmental outcome in the present case?

2. What steps are being put in place to prevent, in the future, this type of situation where development assessment panels can ignore the expert advice from government agencies?

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY (Minister for Police, Minister for Mineral Resources Development, Minister for Urban Development and Planning) (15:21): The honourable member has asked me this, or similar questions about this matter, on previous occasions and he would know that there was an issue at the time related to a potential conflict of interest with one of the members of the panel. I addressed that by writing to the chief executive officer of the Streaky Bay council. I believe that matter has been addressed and, on the advice that I have been provided, I do not believe there were any grounds for me to query the particular decision made by a properly constituted council development assessment panel.

In relation to the future, obviously we do need to improve planning for our coastal regions. I know the honourable member is a member of the Environment, Resources and Development Committee which, I understand, will shortly be completing a report on the subject of coastal planning. I am sure, as a member of that committee, the honourable member will be well aware of some of the measures already under way.

Planning SA has been working collaboratively with the Eyre Peninsula Local Government Association to develop a coastal development strategy to address the increasing pressures for development on Eyre Peninsula's coastline. The Eyre Peninsula Local Government Association recently agreed to implement a new coastal policy approach based on standard modules. These modules are currently being translated via development plan amendments by the associated Eyre Peninsula councils with support from Planning SA. Indeed, I know that Ceduna and Whyalla are already moving rapidly to commence these development plan amendments.

Recently, Planning SA staff met with the chief executive of the Streaky Bay council to negotiate the commencement of a general and coastal development plan amendment as a high priority. This development plan amendment will incorporate better development plan modules and the policies developed through the coastal strategy so that they will become part of that development plan amendment. After all, to get back to the question asked by the honourable member, the members of the development panel are required to uphold the development plan. If the development plan does not properly protect the coastal region then, clearly, that is what needs to be changed.

Planning SA will assist that council with the documentation to ensure that the DPA is progressed in a timely manner. However, members should note that any new policy will not be retrospective but there is a substantial policy dealing with the protection of environmental and scenic quality of the coastline within the existing development plan; it just needs further strengthening. As I indicated when the honourable member last asked a question on this subject, I have acted to change the development plans for out-of-council areas.

What we need to do and what we will do is ensure that the Streaky Bay council makes adequate progress through the implementation of a new planning policy framework; and, indeed, we will ensure also that this applies to the other remaining councils, other than Ceduna and Whyalla, which are already advanced in completing this work. Of course, it is not just Eyre Peninsula about which we need to be concerned: the Yorke Peninsula land-use framework has also been considered for final approval, and that framework will provide a strategic planning framework for that region, including coastal areas.

As a result of the sea-change phenomenon, there is growing pressure on all our coastal areas. As I say, strategies are in place for dealing with that on the Eyre Peninsula which are well advanced in a number of council areas. In fairness to the District Council of Streaky Bay, obviously it is a relatively small council and does not have the resources of some of the larger councils. In my discussions with it, that council certainly indicated to me that, through its development plans, its intention is to adopt the strategy to which it agreed.

Obviously, as a small council it needs support, and that is why I have indicated that Planning SA resources will be available to progress its development plan amendment in a timely manner. Similarly, we need to look at all the other coastal areas around the state. Indeed, there are some other issues, too, about which I will be making some announcements shortly, which we need to implement to protect our delicate coastal areas.

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