Legislative Council - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, First Session (54-1)
2018-06-06 Daily Xml

Contents

Kangaroo Island

The Hon. M.C. PARNELL (15:10): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Tourism, representing the Minister for Environment and Water, a question about a proposed new golf resort on Kangaroo Island.

Leave granted.

The Hon. M.C. PARNELL: According to The Islander newspaper this week, the Minister for Environment and Water is revisiting the Kangaroo Island golf resort proposal, formerly known as The Links and now apparently known as The Cliffs. The original golf course was declared a major project and was proposed over largely degraded and cleared farmland. However, after approval was given in February 2016, the proponents were subsequently given a new approval to move the golf course closer to the coast, incorporating publicly owned coastal waterfront site land zoned for conservation purposes. I visited this land on the weekend and it's a truly beautiful place, supporting a wide range of native animals and plants.

Following 780 public submissions with all but five opposing the land sale, the previous minister declined to sell or lease this land for the golf course but apparently it is now back on the agenda with the new minister, according to The Islander newspaper, saying he wanted to work through the issues and that in the coming weeks he hoped to land at a decision with his colleagues and cabinet on a proposal to sell the Crown land to the developers. Subsequent postings by the minister on social media this week indicated that he is 'working through everything from a new starting point. The previous government had made a hash of this, so I'm stepping back, looking at everything and working out a way forward'. My questions of the minister are:

1. Can the minister categorically rule out selling or leasing Crown coastal conservation zoned land to the golf course developers?

2. If he is reconsidering the matter, can he confirm that the statutory public consultation process completed by the previous minister will have to be started again before he can make any decision about the future of this land?

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY (Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment) (15:12): I thank the honourable member for his question. As we know, he has a strong, ongoing interest in all things environmental in this particular chamber.

An honourable member: And golf.

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: And golf, of course. I am not sure what his handicap is—

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: No, I would never say that. I shouldn't be flippant. It is a very important question and I will take that question on notice and refer it to the minister in the other house.