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Legislative Council - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2009-07-15 Daily Xml
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Parliamentary Committees

NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE: ADELAIDE AND MOUNT LOFTY RANGES NATURAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT BOARD

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY (17:30): I move:

That the 28th report of the committee, on the Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges Natural Resources Management Board Proposal 2009-10, be noted.

One of the Natural Resources Committee's statutory obligations is to consider and make recommendations on any levy proposed by a natural resources management board where the increase exceeds the annual CPI rise. Now that the new boards have raised levies for a number of years, it appears that the levy paying public have become accustomed to these levies, with the result that this year we received just two submissions from levy payers for six levy proposals from boards proposing to exceed CPI for 2009-10. This is much fewer than the number of submissions received in previous years.

We believe that a number of factors have contributed to this. First, people recognise the good works undertaken by the various boards and the value for money that their levies represent; secondly, programs instated by a number of boards (including the Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges board) to equalise the levy rates across the council districts in their regions; and thirdly, a general trend towards restraint regarding levy increases. I should say that this trend has been wholeheartedly encouraged, and in some cases facilitated, by the Natural Resources Committee.

After reviewing the levy proposal for the Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges Natural Resources Management Board, the committee was pleased to see that proposed amendments to the board's regional plan were consistent with those in the plan presented last year and adopted by the minister in mid-2008. Subsequently, our recommendation to the minister was not to object to the levy increases.

To ensure that this committee discharges its statutory responsibilities under the Natural Resources Management Act in an enlightened manner, members have endeavoured to develop an appreciation of the various NRM regions and their most pressing issues. As such, committee members have always taken the opportunity to visit and tour as many NRM board regions as possible to meet with board and staff members as well as members of the general levy paying public. To this end, committee members undertook a full-day tour with NRM board members and staff focusing on the Torrens catchment. On that tour members inspected various works undertaken with the assistance of the NRM board. Site visits included:

Cox Creek at the Woodhouse Scout Camp in Bridgwater, where the board, together with SA Water and the EPA, has constructed a highly effective sedimentation basin to reduce nutrient contamination of the Happy Valley reservoir;

the Lenswood Recreation Park, where the board has supported Lenswood Primary School's excellent revegetation works; and

the Grange Golf Club wetland urban stormwater ASR (aquifer storage and recovery) scheme at Seaton, where wetlands treat stormwater for injection into aquifers for subsequent irrigation use.

It must be said of this extremely valuable tour, and also of the evidence presented to the committee, that members were impressed with the dedication, commitment and enthusiasm demonstrated by the Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges NRM Board members and staff towards the challenging task of managing the region's natural resources. It also appears, from our conversations with landholders, that this dedication is appreciated by the many participants and beneficiaries of board projects.

While this particular tour was simple to undertake due to the close proximity of the sites visited, the other NRM board regions for which the committee has statutory responsibilities are more distant and consequently require more time and resources to visit. However, despite the extra time and costs that these visits entail, this committee considers that getting out and about in the community, and meeting face to face and on site with natural resource managers to look at these issues, is by far the best course of action and represents excellent value for money.

As well as serving to educate honourable members to improve the quality with which we devolve our statutory responsibilities, this committee has found these excursions to have effectively raised the profile of parliamentary committees and the parliament, with many community members commenting favourably on our willingness to go out and consult with them on the ground.

Members find these trips immensely rewarding and look forward to continuing with them for the life of the parliament, and beyond. In the next six months, for example, funds and time permitting, committee members hope to visit the South-East and Kangaroo Island—which they will do on Monday and Tuesday of next week—the Eyre Peninsula NRM region and the SA Arid Lands and the Alinytjara Wilurara NRM regions.

I wish to thank all those who gave their time and assistance to the committee with this statutory authority. I also commend the members of the committee, John Rau MP (the Presiding Member); the Hon. Graham Gunn MP; the Hon. Stephanie Key MP; the Hon. Caroline Schafer MLC; the Hon. Lea Stevens MP; and the Hon. David Winderlich MLC, for their contribution. All members of the committee have worked cooperatively throughout. Finally, I would like to thank the staff of the committee for their assistance. I commend the report to the council.

Debate adjourned on motion of Hon. C.V. Schaefer.

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