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Legislative Council - Fifty-Third Parliament, First Session (53-1)
2014-10-15 Daily Xml
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Jones, Mr Henry

Adjourned debate on motion of Hon. J.M.A. Lensink:

That this council expresses its deep regret at the death of Mr Henry Jones and places on record its appreciation for his long and tireless commitment to the River Murray and the Murray-Darling Basin.

(Continued from 4 June 2014.)

The Hon. T.A. FRANKS (20:12): I rise to support this motion put before us by the Hon. Michelle Lensink. It is one of the privileges of this parliament and of being a member of parliament that we are exposed to some extraordinary people. While I never met him personally, I am privileged to represent my party tonight in praising Henry Jones, who was indeed an extraordinary South Australian.

He was a man who gave a long-term commitment to the environment in the face of the Lower Lakes community advocating for more environmental freshwater flows in the region, and he was a man who had fought for the River Murray since 1981, when the mouth first closed over. I rise to support this motion and echo the words of the Hon. Michelle Lensink, and I note that across party political divides in this place we are marking the passing of a truly great man who made a profound contribution. Mr Jones is survived by his wife, Gloria, his daughters Christine, Julie and Susan, and his five granddaughters and one grandson, and I extend to them my sincere condolences. Shortly after he passed away, the Clayton Bay Community Association President Leonie Henderson said:

As a resident of Clayton Bay since 1961, Mr Henry Jones gave a lifetime of service to that community. He was described as always ready to do his bit for our Clayton Bay community

She went on to say:

He and Gloria have made Clayton Bay what it is today: a well planned residential area with a local hall, shop and restaurant, the CFS—all of which would not be, had it not been for Henry's vision and dedication.

For those who might think that perhaps that was stretching the point, further research shows that every word of that sentence is true. He was a commercial fisherman for more than half a century and also served on his local council for 10 years. He sold and cooked his catch at his shop and restaurant and, although the Joneses sold Yabby City some time ago, the business still remains.

I am informed that while yabbies are no longer available at the renamed restaurant, Sails at Clayton Bay, the giant yabby he and his wife, Gloria, built has since been removed. On that point, I observed to my staff that my grandmother was actually a yabby farmer for a short period of time, but she did not think to erect a giant yabby to help sell her produce. It is an ingenious idea and certainly very Australian.

As well as this, he was the captain-coach of the local football team and part of the local cricket team, something that cannot be underestimated as of vital importance to any community, particularly regional and rural communities. He was, of course, best known for his tireless campaigning to convince decision-makers to reverse decades of overallocation and save the ailing river system.

He was a longstanding member of the Native Fish Strategy and Basin Community committees, along with the Living Murray Community Reference Group. He was perhaps the most influential figure, enforcing the implementation of a plan to save the environment of the Murray-Darling Basin and through that the livelihoods of many thousands of people, those many thousands of people who rely on it.

Just last year, Mr Jones was awarded the River Murray Medal by the Murray-Darling Basin Authority and he was, of course, also named as a state finalist in the Senior Australian of the Year. His impassioned speech in 2012 to federal parliamentarians, including the then prime minister, Julia Gillard, opposition leader, Tony Abbott, and the then Greens leader, Bob Brown, was hailed as a game changer, reminding Canberra that South Australia would not rest until true water reform was delivered.

As president of the Southern Fishermen's Association, Mr Jones helped shape a world first environmental management plan for a whole of fishery approach in the Lakes and Coorong. This included looking after fish stocks, banning undersized catching and finding ways to increase the fish population. He later named this as his proudest achievement.

I think the environment movement can learn a lot from Henry's approach to campaigning. He was on every committee that dealt with the Murray and he fought wherever he could. Of course, the Greens' party community was certainly very much touched by the work of Mr Jones and also very moved upon his passing. One particular Greens' member, Janet, said:

I will never forget the frequent sight of Henry partially silhouetted against natural backdrops, working alone from his large tinny, setting and hauling in nets along the long open line of the barrages from Mundoo Island to the Coorong.

Glimpsed over hours of my own work in the Mud Islands and barrages, he always appeared both tiny against the sandhills to the west while at the same time as a constant and persistent presence at water level in all weathers. he loomed large as an integral part of the very strong, beautiful and changeable landscape he worked in.

When talking about the changes in the community when the rain finally fell, Mr Jones said:

It just proved to me beyond a shadow of doubt that you need a healthy environment and healthy rivers to have a healthy community.

I could not agree with that sentiment more, and I certainly could not commend this motion more. With that, I offer my support to this motion.

The Hon. J.M. GAZZOLA (20:18): I rise to reiterate our great sadness at the passing of Henry Jones. Many people in South Australia knew Henry Jones for his amazing advocacy work during the Save the Murray campaign. Fewer people perhaps know that the campaign was the culmination of a lifetime of dedication to the river, the river communities and its environment. Henry's passion for the river went back over 30 years. He was the first permanent resident in Clayton, where Henry and his wife, Gloria, created their home and brought up their family. I extend our condolences to Gloria, family and friends.

As a commercial fisherman, Henry developed a deep connection to and understanding of the unique environment of the Lower Lakes. Henry understood and championed the principles of conservation and sustainability of his beloved patch of the river. He witnessed how decades of overallocation upstream was adversely affecting the health of the river and the prosperity of his community, and he fought the good fight.

He took his fight to the highest levels of government, inviting leaders, experts and policymakers to join him on the river to see for themselves what was at stake, and he was more than effective. It was clear that Henry was not motivated by party politics or fame and fortune or any other ulterior motive. Henry Jones was motivated purely by his love and passion for the place where he lived. While Henry Jones' selflessness, his boundless energy, passion and fight will be sorely missed, we are so grateful that we continue to reap the benefits of his dedication and commitment.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation) (20:20): As I have said in this place before, and echoing the sentiments of others in this chamber, I again express the deep sadness and regret on behalf of the government about the passing of Mr Henry Jones. This chamber is aware Mr Jones was a tireless and passionate advocate for the health and prosperity of the River Murray and its communities. The state of South Australia owes Mr Jones a great deal for his work and advocacy about the importance of preserving and fighting for the River Murray.

In fact, Mr Jones was the face of the government's campaign to fight for the River Murray. Mr Jones, of course, valued the importance of bipartisanship for the greater good of the river and his passion and dedication was respected and loved by all sides of politics. All of those who had the honour of working with Mr Jones understood that his heart was always in the right place, and that was about saving his part of the world. For this reason, Mr Jones' work received formal recognition in him becoming the first community member to receive the River Murray Medal, awarded by the Murray-Darling Basin Authority.

We all have very important things to learn from Mr Jones and his legacy. We all have very important reasons to be grateful to Mr Jones and to the years of service he dedicated to saving our River Murray. I extend my condolences to his wife Gloria and their extended family.

The Hon. J.S.L. DAWKINS (20:22): It is a privilege to contribute to this motion, and I firstly extend my thanks to the Hon. Michelle Lensink for moving this motion and also the amount of detail that she put into her speech about the late Mr Henry Jones. I had the privilege to meet Henry Jones on a number of occasions, not only as a member of parliament but also in community aspects of his part of South Australia. As has been mentioned earlier, not only was he a passionate advocate for his industry and his environment but he was also a great community stalwart and, something close to my heart, a passionate country football person. Those people are always pretty special in my eyes.

I had the privilege to hear evidence from Henry on a number of issues to parliamentary committees about matters fishing, and I think it is pretty clear that Henry had forgotten more about fishing and about the Lakes and Coorong than most people will ever know. He was a fascinating man to listen to in relation to those issues, and I particularly remember him giving the committee that I chaired about pipis and cockles evidence that in some ways put into perspective some of the other evidence we had heard, because he had that great history that backed up his knowledge.

I think also the thing that I will always remember about Henry is that, as a commercial fisherman and someone who had generations of commercial fishing in his family background, he was like the majority of people in his industry and the majority of farmers. He knew that if he messed up his patch there would be no patch for him to work in. He used that philosophy in his dedication to the Lakes and Coorong, particularly to the Clayton Bay area but also the whole of the River Murray system and the state that he loved. I commend the motion moved by the Hon. Michelle Lensink to the chamber. Mr President, I draw your attention to the state of the council.

A quorum having been formed:

The Hon. R.L. BROKENSHIRE (20:26): I rise to support strongly the condolence motion of Mr Henry Jones. I acknowledge the great work that he did on the Fleurieu Peninsula and around the Lakes. I was privileged to know both Henry Jones and his family, particularly his wife, since I was quite a young person. My first real experience in getting to know Henry Jones was back when he and his wife decided to set up the Yabby City Restaurant at Clayton, which was quite an innovative concept back then and was very successful for many years. Not only those of us who lived on the Fleurieu Peninsula could enjoy that Yabby City Restaurant but it became an iconic restaurant for those people from the city who loved yabbies, and it became quite a tourist destination. During that time I experienced the incredible hard work that Henry and his wife and family were putting into the Clayton area.

The Country Fire Service I want to touch on as well, because Henry Jones was committed to the Country Fire Service, and as a former minister responsible for that service I can say that when I came in and had to work with CFS volunteers it was great to see the efforts of people like Henry Jones who had put so much into ensuring there was competency, commitment and improvement in the CFS. He had the capacity to be able to do that partly because of his commitment as a councillor to the District Council of Strathalbyn. Also during those times he also put his community before himself and his family.

If anyone has been down to Clayton Bay in recent times you see a great town, with a blend of retired people who have chosen the green change opportunity to retire and also those who see it as a destination for weekend and holiday living—a real opportunity for tourism development.

I want to also pay tribute to Henry's wife Gloria and to his daughters Christine, Susie and Julie, and his five grand daughters and his grandson. Henry settled in Clayton Bay in 1961, some 53 years ago, and was a fourth generation fisherman. He was a commercial fisherman for more than half a century, and I would argue that he knew the river system, the lake system and the Murray Mouth and the situations around the drought and the closure of the Murray Mouth better than anyone else in the district.

If you had the privilege of going to some of the restaurants in the area or dropping in for a counter tea in places like the Wellington Hotel, you often had the opportunity of eating Coorong mullet, something that I think is fantastic to eat. Henry was one of the fishermen out there looking after the environment, looking after the fish catch, and ensuring that there were opportunities for commercial fishing and the restaurant trade from the lake system.

His involvement in the Living Murray Community Reference Group, the Native Fish Strategy Committee, the Murray-Darling Basin Authority, the Murray-Darling Basin Community Reference Group, the River Murray Advisory Committee and in the Basin Community Committee needs to be put on the public record. I have mentioned already that he was a councillor for the District Council of Strathalbyn, and he established the local CFS at Clayton; so, he was a founding member of the Clayton CFS and was its captain for 20 years. That is no mean effort. We all know the role that the captain plays in a brigade, and Henry did that for some 20 years.

He also played a role in developing halls, boat ramps, boat clubs and jetties. He was Chairman of the South Australian Fishing Industry Council and President of the Southern Fisherman's Association and assisted the local fishing community to achieve Marine Stewardship Council certification. Clayton Bay Community Association President, Leonie Henderson, has been quoted as saying, and I quote:

He and Gloria have made Clayton Bay what it is today: a well planned residential area with the local hall, shop and restaurant, the CFS—all of which would not be, had it not been for Henry's vision and dedication.

I want to put on the record my appreciation and recognition of awards that were very much Henry's for the efforts that he had put in. They were very broad awards and they were richly deserved by a gentleman who just got on with the job. They include the Pride of Australia Medal 2008 for a lifetime of achievement in fostering Australian values and making Australia a better place to live (what better award could you get than that?), and the River Murray Medal in 2013 for his efforts for the River Murray. That award was recognised by both Liberal and Labor members of parliament, Family First and, I am sure, the Greens and all those who knew there were challenges with the river. It was the good advice, the commitment and strong voice that Henry Jones had for the river system.

He was the first community member ever to receive the River Murray Medal, awarded by the Murray-Darling Basin Authority, since its creation in 1853; so in 160 years he was the first community member. He was a state finalist for Senior Australian of the Year for 2014. In more recent years as well, when many of us were privileged to go to the Alexandrina Council's Year of the Farmer Celebrations in 2012, Henry Jones was recognised for his lifelong contribution. He was recognised and thanked by the Basin Salinity Management Advisory Panel for his significant contributions to the 2009-10 Independent Audit for Salinity. Henry and Gloria were invited by the federal minister at the time, Tony Burke, to be present in parliament as the Murray-Darling Basin Plan was passed into law.

I will finish with just a couple of things. One of my good friends, the Mayor of Alexandrina, Kym McHugh, who is now retiring after 25 years in local government, worked very closely with a lot of people on the Fleurieu Peninsula and around the Lakes in the Alexandrina Council. He knew Henry Jones very, very well and always spoke strongly, affectionately and admirably for Henry Jones and his commitment.

To Gloria and the family, it is never easy to lose a loved one, to lose a husband, to lose someone so committed to a community, but they can hold their heads high for being part of a family team and effort with one of the most magnificent men I have seen, committed first and foremost to his community, his environment, and the industry he loved so much, namely, the fishing industry. I commend the motion to the house.

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK (20:34): I will be very brief in my summing up, as I outlined the details when I moved the motion. I thank all honourable members for their contributions: the Hon. Kyam Maher, the Hon. Tammy Franks, the Hon. John Gazzola, minister Hunter, the Hon. John Dawkins and the Hon. Rob Brokenshire. I think the number of contributions we have had is telling: almost a third of members of this house have made some contribution to honour the legacy of Mr Henry Jones.

I would also like to acknowledge once again that the motion was instigated in the other place by the member for Hammond, Adrian Pederick, and that we believed it was fitting that Mr Jones also be recognised by the Legislative Council. With those words, I commend the motion to the house and thank members in anticipation of their support.

Motion carried.

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