ABINET West Coast - YourSAy · Elliston Coastal Trail. We also provided $8,000 to the KickstArt...

West Coast

/YourFutureSA

BETTER TOGETHER

COUNTRY CABINET

STATE GOVERNMENT RESPONSE

West CoastNovember 2014

A message from Premier Jay Weatherill 3Minister for Regional Development’s Foreword 3Introduction 4 Our regions 4 The importance of the region 4 Country Cabinet 5 Fund my Idea 6 What we heard 6Action taken in response to what we heard 7 Supporting local businesses 7 Elliston Coastal Trail 7What we are doing to deliver on other important issues 8 Transport, Roads and Infrastructure 9 Health 10 Community 12 Education, Training and Employment 15 Economic Development 18 Environment 19

IndexIndex

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COUNTRY CABINET

/YourFutureSABETTER TOGETHER

MINISTER FOR REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT’S FOREWORD

A MESSAGE FROM PREMIER JAY WEATHERILL

The West Coast is an amazing part of our great State. It spans hundreds of kilometres of diverse and unspoilt landscapes, from rugged coastline to vast expanses of farmland.

The area is renowned for its food production, with a thriving aquaculture and fishing industry that exports our premium food to the world.

The communities that make up the West Coast are warm and welcoming, full of genuine people who are passionate about the prosperity of their region.

During Country Cabinet, my Ministers and I spoke to locals about a range of issues.

This report is the Government’s response to what we heard. It outlines our commitment to work with the West Coast to achieve a more thriving and prosperous region.

During Country Cabinet, the State Government announced a grant of $250,000 to improve the Elliston Coastal Trail. We also provided $8,000 to the KickstArt project for community art groups.

We are supporting West Coast businesses to engage with international markets through the TradeStart and Gateway Business Program.

The people of the West Coast enjoy a wonderful lifestyle. The Government is committed to protecting this way of life and supporting the region as it continues to grow.

The State Government’s decision to hold three Country Cabinets each year in different regions across the State is part of my agreement with the Premier.

Regional communities are taking full advantage of the opportunity to meet directly with the Premier, Ministers and department Chief Executives during these visits to raise and discuss issues and ideas from their own region.

This report is a very welcome recognition of some of the challenges and opportunities facing South Australia’s regional communities on the West Coast and how we can work together to make our regions stronger, more productive, more competitive and sustainable places in which to live and work.

I travel extensively around South Australia in my twin Ministerial portfolio responsibilities of Regional Development and Local Government.

The regions are facing challenges, some of which are region specific and need local solutions, while others are common across the State. However, I’m constantly impressed by the passion in the regions, the innovative ideas put to me by locals and, above all, the positive attitude coming from those communities.

I thank everyone who brought their ideas to the West Coast Country Cabinet, including those who entered and voted on the ‘Fund My Idea’ proposals for the region.

I look forward to my next visit to the West Coast.

Jay Weatherill Premier of South Australia

Geoff BrockMinister for Regional Development

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THE RESPONSE


OUR REGIONSThree in every 10 South Australians live in a regional community. Regional communities make a major contribution to South Australia’s identity, quality of life and prosperity.

Regional South Australia generates much of our State’s wealth, contributing more than $20 billion towards our economy and producing more than 50 per cent of South Australia’s overseas exports. Building stronger regions is a priority for the South Australian Government.

Our regions help to define our State – breathing life into our State’s sense of itself, its culture and traditions and its place in the nation. Country South Australia not only provides an economic engine for the State, it contributes to our State’s unique character and helps define what it is to be South Australian.

THE IMPORTANCE OF THE REGIONThe West Coast region is a vast and unspoilt area of our State. It spans hundreds of kilometres of pristine coastline littered with vibrant communities, offering a lifestyle second to none.

The region’s economy relies on agriculture, aquaculture, fishing, tourism and mining industries. These are major sources of employment and revenue for local communities.

The region has many competitive advantages including well-established industries, and significant export and domestic growth opportunities.

Hosting Country Cabinet gave Ministers the opportunity to learn more about the area by engaging with local people about the issues most important to them. Ministers heard from community and business leaders on matters such as regional and economic development, mental health, infrastructure and planning, roads and transport, tourism and the environment.

Ministers met a wonderful group of people from across the region, all passionate about their region and keen to work with government to ensure a more prosperous place for all.

Introduction

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COUNTRY CABINET


COUNTRY CABINETIn November 2014, Premier Jay Weatherill and the State’s Cabinet Ministers visited the West Coast region for three days.

It was the third Country Cabinet of the year, as part of the Government’s Charter for a Stronger Regional Policy.

Around 240 people attended a community BBQ and public forum in Ceduna on Sunday 23 November. The event provided an opportunity for the community to raise issues and ideas for the region.

The Country Cabinet meeting was held in Streaky Bay the next day and included an opportunity for local councils to speak with the Cabinet Ministers.

Cabinet met with business and industry leaders, local councilors and members of the community during a range of different activities. The common aim was to discuss ideas that could add value locally, create more jobs and help communities thrive.

Events included:

• A community forum and BBQ in Ceduna attended by around 240 people

• More than 25 locals meeting one-on-one with Cabinet Ministers

• A presentation to Cabinet in Streaky Bay from the mayors and chief executives of District Council of Ceduna, District Council of Streaky Bay, District Council of Elliston and Wudinna District Council

• A lunch with community representatives at the Streaky Bay & District Community Complex and Bowling Greens

• Individual site visits by the Premier and Ministers.

During the visit, the State Government announced:

• A grant of $250,000 to improve the Elliston Coastal Trail

• $8,000 for the KickstArt project on the West Coast for community arts groups WestArt in Ceduna and ArtsUp in Streaky Bay

• New land will be added to the Laura Bay and Fowler’s Bay Conservation Parks near Ceduna, as well as the Nullarbor Wilderness Protection Area

• $2,000 for the Streaky Bay RSL Sub-Branch to help provide wheelchair access to its clubroom.

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THE RESPONSE


WHAT WE HEARDThe message that Cabinet took away from the West Coast Country Cabinet was one of a passionate, thriving and resilient community. The region is facing challenges and opportunities and the community wants to work with the Government to address these.

This report gives a snapshot of the Government’s response to what we heard in the West Coast region. It is not a comprehensive overview of everything being done, but it provides a sense of the Government’s interest and commitment to better outcomes for the region. Findings from the visit will continue to inform the Government’s support for the area into the future.

FUND MY IDEACountry Cabinet saw the launch of the ‘Fund my Idea’ program in the West Coast. Fund my Idea supports projects to the value of $50,000 in regions that host Country Cabinet.

People were invited to submit ideas for projects in the region, and the community voted on how they felt the money should be spent.

22 ideas, all generated by the community, were published on the Government’s YourSAy website (www.yoursay.sa.gov.au). Almost 1120 votes were received from the community.

Memorial Hall Facelift(Danceduna, $24,000)

Local performance group Danceduna, working with the District Council, will progress upgrades to the Ceduna Memorial Hall including a new motorised curtain, an industrial dishwasher and new freezer.

Far West Mojo(Red Cross SA, $26,000)

The ‘Far West Mojo’ project will enlarge and share a local voice in West Coast Aboriginal communities, providing digital journalism skills that can lead to commissioned work and recognition by mainstream media. Red Cross will lead the project, joining forces with the Youth Hub.

The two highest projects, as voted by the community, were successful:

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COUNTRY CABINET


ELLISTON COASTAL TRAILThe new Elliston Coastal Trail received a $250,000 grant from the State Government.

The Coastal Trail will draw people to Elliston’s pristine beaches and spectacular world-class coastline and provide a well-planned trail network that will cater to a range of users, from recreational walkers, tourists and cyclists through to the fitness focused.

The first stage of works will:

• Improve access to surfing and swimming spots with new steps

• Upgrade Cape Finniss lookout with new shelters and picnic settings

• Promote the existing sculpture display trail with nodes and signage

• Upgrade the Point Wellesley and Point Salmon lookouts.

SUPPORTING LOCAL BUSINESSES The West Coast economy relies heavily on the agriculture, aquaculture and fishing industries as a major source of employment and revenue. The region is home to the best quality seafood, from the pristine waters off Eyre Peninsula.

One of the region’s most successful small businesses, Streaky Bay Marine Products, has been seeking assistance to expand its offshore operations and to adjust its business model following the introduction of marine park legislation.

Streaky Bay Marine Products already has access to mentoring and business advice through TradeStart advisors, allowing them to grow their profitable export operations in China, Singapore and Japan.

To further support this successful small business, the Government is working with Streaky Bay Marine Products to determine the best way it can support the growth and expansion of the business.

Additionally, the South Australian Coordinator-General, James Hallion, will provide support to Streaky Bay Marine Products and assist them to identify further opportunities available through State Government programs.

Streaky Bay Marine Products has been advised of programs that could assist its future plans, such as the Business Transformation Voucher Program, a small grants program administered by the Department of State Development, Regional Development Australia and FoodHub.

The Government will continue to work with Streaky Bay Marine Products to provide support and advice.

Action taken in response to what we heard

Action taken in response to what we heard

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THE RESPONSE


What we are doing to deliver on other important issues

What we are doing to deliver on other important issues

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COUNTRY CABINET


TRANSPORT, ROADS AND INFRASTRUCTURE

Key issues Our Response

The Commonwealth Government’s recent Budget made the State Government’s task of funding road maintenance increasingly difficult. The State Government will assess regional road networks across South Australia to determine potential projects to ensure funding is allocated to projects where the greatest benefit can be provided to the community as a whole.

Safety and conditions on key road networks is a concern

The State Government will undertake a review of the available transport services between the region and Adelaide with the aim of improving access between the regions.

The Government is reviewing this request. In the interim, an exemption from road rules has not been recommended to the Government.

Transport options between the region and Adelaide are infrequent and expensive

Request to exempt oyster growers to enable them to ride on towed barges

The responsibility for broadband quality and availability rests with the Commonwealth Government. The National Broadband Network (NBN) will dramatically improve the availability and quality of high speed broadband to all areas, including Elliston. The NBN rollout schedule, determined solely by NBN Co, currently does not include Elliston before mid-2016. NBN Co is required to consider poorly serviced areas in determining rollout priorities, to the extent that it is commercially and operationally feasible.

The State Government will liaise with NBN Co regarding Elliston’s broadband issues and Elliston’s rollout priority, given it is underserved by satisfactory broadband levels.

Elliston Area School is currently accessing the internet via a Telstra 2Mbps frame relay service. The Government is working with Telstra to investigate opportunities for available upgrades and have recently been advised that while an ADSL service is available at the local exchange this service is currently at 100% capacity and no additional ports are available.

Elliston’s lack of Internet capability which severely impacts on local business, government agencies, medical practitioners and local schools, including the Elliston Area School.

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THE RESPONSE


HEALTHKey issues Our Response

A principle of PATS is that patients should be treated as close to home as possible without compromising the safety and quality of the care provided. The scheme does not support the additional costs of travel if a patient makes a choice to travel beyond their closest specialist services. If medically required, travel to a distant specialist is supported by PATS.

As part of its strategic planning for the next five years, the Government is focusing on developing services in regional centres and providing more services closer to home. The aim is to reduce country residents’ need to travel to Adelaide, by developing key health services in country centres that are affordable, sustainable and safe.

It would be easier and more cost-effective to utilise the Patient Assisted Transport Scheme (PATS) to transport people to Adelaide for specialist services, rather than Whyalla or Port Lincoln.

The Government is committed to providing a high quality treatment system for people with dependence issues. This includes ensuring that treatment services are accessible and appropriate for Aboriginal communities, including those in Far West regions. In recent years, the State Government has introduced a number of initiatives to combat substance abuse on the Far West Coast, including;

• Ceduna Day Centre

• Ceduna Sobering Up Unit

• Ceduna Mobile Assistance Patrol

• ‘Strong Spirit Strong Mind’ Training Program

• Ceduna Vulnerable People Framework and

• In-Reach Support.

SA Health is currently undertaking a tender process for the ongoing provision of the Ceduna Sobering Up Unit and Mobile Assistance Patrol service.

In accordance with the Federal Government’s Indigenous Advancement Strategy, the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet has recently sought grant applications to enable the transitioning of the Ceduna Day Centre into the non-government sector beyond July 2015.

There is a need to focus much more strongly on addiction treatment and support services to assist Aboriginal communities.

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COUNTRY CABINET


The Government is prioritising the identification of long-term solutions for this service.

SA Ambulance Service has been flying ambulance officers to Ceduna on a weekly basis to maintain ambulance response capability, and has also established two pools of metro-based volunteers who are sent to areas to assist with staffing shortfalls.

SA Ambulance Service is also considering the recommendations of a Volunteer Workforce Planning Project to determine what initiatives are necessary to complement our current State-wide volunteer recruitment campaign, Skills for Life, encouraging the community to join as volunteers by calling 1800 655 306 or visiting www.saambulance.com.au.

There was concern over the capacity of the region’s ambulance services due to the lack of volunteer ambulance officers.

The current location of mental health services in Ceduna Hospital is not ideal and Country Health SA Local Health Network is investigating options available to relocate mental health facilities in Ceduna to a more appropriate location within the GP Plus centre to enhance the experience for people accessing mental health services in a supportive and safe environment.

SA Health is also developing a population-based approach to allocating its Mental Health resources which will benefit country locations, including the West Coast.

In 2014, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services doubled the number of clinical staff attending outreach destinations, including services to Ceduna, Wudinna and Streaky Bay.

A project officer and a qualified counsellor will deliver a mental health program across the isolated communities on Eyre Peninsula. It will incorporate the development of IT applications (Facebook, blogs and apps) to support the wellbeing and mental health needs of young people.

After school hours this information will be provided to the local community by the project officer and the qualified counsellor to give families and young people some coping strategies to better manage own and family/peer mental health.

$20,000 in funding has been approved for 2015 to implement a ‘Mentally Fit EP’ initiative. This project is facilitated in partnership with West Coast Youth and Community Support, Country Health SA, Medicare Local Partners In Recovery program, the Lower Eyre Health cluster, and the Youth Mental Health service delivery changes State steering group.

The lack of access to adult mental health services is making some people more reluctant to self-refer for assistance.

The region’s schools identified a lack of access to mental health services as being a significant issue for children and young people.

Key issues

Health continued

Our Response

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THE RESPONSE


COMMUNITYKey issues Our Response

Depending on the role, volunteers may require either a Police check or a screening check from the Screening Unit of the Department for Communities and Social Inclusion (DCSI). The difference between a Police check and a DCSI screening check is that the DCSI Screening Unit undertakes a specifically focused risk assessment, designed to protect a particular group or assess an applicant’s risk in a particular position. There is no such assessment with a police check. It is simply a record of a person’s criminal conviction history.

Current Police check arrangements are impacting on the recruitment of volunteers for children’s organisations, with people having to apply for multiple checks if they want to work with multiple organisations.

Dry zones may be a source of tension for residents in Ceduna, but for the vast majority of people the dry zone will only marginally affect their ability to purchase and consume alcohol on a daily basis.

Dry zones will affect an individual’s ability to consume alcohol in public places (a permit could be sought for public events).

Experiences in Ceduna demonstrate that the inability to manage anti-social behavior associated with excessive drinking could cost tourism and business operators as much as $1.5M per annum.

Extending the dry zone to include Streaky Bay would largely depend upon the necessity or desirability to take prompt action to curb and manage any anti-social behaviour associated with excessive alcohol consumption.

The alcohol restrictions proposed and in place are a significant source of tension in the community. There is concern that restrictions on alcohol sales may reduce revenues for local business servicing tourists.

Housing SA has a Transitional Accommodation Centre (TAC) in Ceduna. The Wangka Wilurrara TAC provides a short stay facility, offering 24/7 access to secure supported accommodation. A range of outreach services is provided to Aboriginal families and individuals who are mobile between communities and across borders and to those who are chronically transient. Small working groups of local stakeholders have been formed to further this work.

There is significant concern about the large number of Aboriginal people in the Ceduna region who have been displaced due to safety issues because of long-term alcoholism.

The Active Club Program (ACP) provides funding support to assist active recreation and sport clubs to further develop the programs and services they provide within the community.

The budget for ACP is $2,350,000 per annum. A national allocation of $50,000 is available for each of the 47 electorates per year, divided over two funding rounds.

Whilst many of the region’s young people play sport, it is felt that a broader range of recreational options are required.

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COUNTRY CABINET


The region’s Aboriginal communities want better proactive engagement with them in the design and delivery of education and social services to ensure they are meeting their needs in the most effective manner possible.


A new Youth Development Officer will be positioned soon and will help to address priorities by working with agencies and engaging with young people to develop an Integrated Youth Plan for the Far West region. The Youth Development Officer will:

• examine opportunities for non-Aboriginal and Aboriginal service providers to work together, learn from each other and improve services for young people in the region; and

• work with agencies and service providers to identify gaps in the service system.

The State Government is planning a number of initiatives to proactively engage with Aboriginal communities in the design and delivery of education and social services.

All schools with Aboriginal enrolments receive an Aboriginal Community Education Officer allocation to support the engagement and participation of Aboriginal children, young people and their families in education.

The Government’s Far West Partnership will be engaging in community partnership planning in 2015. This process will identify key members of the Aboriginal community to be involved in making recommendations about the way in which education and social services can be delivered in Ceduna/Koonibba.

It is envisaged that an Aboriginal Education Expo will be held in 2015 in Ceduna following a successful trial in Port Lincoln. It is hoped that this will increase the participation of Aboriginal parents and the community in the design and delivery of services

The State Government has approved the establishment of the Ceduna Service Reform Management Response and the role of the Manager, Ceduna Service Reform.

The Manager is responsible for:

• improving service coordination in Ceduna

• developing a sustainable service planning and delivery model for vulnerable people

• ensuring that Aboriginal communities are involved in the design and delivery of the Ceduna Service Reform Management Response.

There is a need to develop an integrated youth plan and services response to support vulnerable young people, particularly Aboriginal youth, who are amongst the most heavily incarcerated groups in South Australia.

Community continued

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THE RESPONSE


The decision to cease funding for the provision of Municipal and Essential Services will have significant impacts on communities and the State Government cannot pick up this responsibility. These impacts include: no funding for roads, power, water and rubbish collection, and could mean the closure of Aboriginal homelands.

Not all Aboriginal housing is owned by Housing SA. In some communities the housing is community owned.

It is unviable for the State Government to fund or provide municipal services in remote Indigenous communities; services which the Commonwealth Government has funded for more than 50 years.

The State Government will be communicating with communities/homelands in 2015 about the new municipal services arrangements.

If communities/homelands are not supported with municipal services funding, Housing SA will review locations approved for investment through the National Partnership Agreement on Remote Indigenous Housing to ensure that investment does not occur where municipal services are not present.

It is reported that the structure of Housing SA lease arrangements for Aboriginal housing is problematic, as they do not include provisions for the maintenance of areas between housing blocks, such as rubbish collection.

Key issuesCommunity continued

Our Response

The Government supports the voluntary amalgamation of councils where it can be clearly demonstrated that local communities will benefit from such an initiative.

The Minister for Local Government has made direct representations to the Federal Government about the funding cuts to roads and financial assistance funding for councils, including convening a meeting with the Deputy Prime Minister, together with the President of the Local Government Association (LGA). The LGA is also actively campaigning for the reinStatement of these funding cuts which affect councils and their communities.

Local Government raised a number of issues including concerns over the need to conduct a review of local councils and consideration of amalgamation, the impact the cuts to Commonwealth Government grant funding are having and will have on their service provision, and difficulty recruiting people with the required expertise to meet their regulatory requirements.

There are Family Day Care (FDC) educators operating in both communities although it is understood the demand may be greater than the capacity.

Recruitment is ongoing but difficult.

The Department for Education and Child Development (DECD) has an in-venue FDC service operating from the Wudinna Kindergarten that commenced this year.

There is no childcare facility in Elliston or Wudinna, which impacts on the ability of local families to coordinate caring responsibilities and employment. The single annual enrolment for the Elliston Kindergarten is felt to exacerbate this issue for that community.

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COUNTRY CABINET


EDUCATION, TRAINING AND EMPLOYMENT


TAFE SA has appointed six regional managers to work with local government, students, schools, business and industry to ensure training is aligned to the needs of local economies.

Regional people, local business and industries will have face-to-face contact with TAFE SA, through the local regional manager who will work closely with schools, small business and other industry partners.

The Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme enables SA employers to nominate skilled migrants for a permanent visa from outside Australia or skilled temporary residents who live and work in South Australia to fill skill shortages in their business.

The region’s business community feels positive about the future, but identified recruiting and retaining skilled staff as their main concern. There are issues around indigenous and youth unemployment.

The Elliston Coastal Trail project has been supported through a State Government Planning and Development Fund grant.

Agrifood Skills Australia is working to ensure the emerging needs of agrifood enterprises are met. Many skills that West Coast residents have through work in the marine industry are compatible with the skills required in the agrifood industry.

The Government is reviewing career development services throughout the Eyre Peninsula and will develop a plan to be actioned from February 2015.

Skills for Jobs in Regions has piloted a ‘Work Inspirations’ model with Indigenous young people in Ceduna. The Government has a view for wider implementation.

There is a need to develop more structured career pathways for local young people. It is felt that more projects, such as the Elliston Coastal Trail, are needed to provide training and employment opportunities for young people.

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THE RESPONSE


There is some level of staff turnover at the school, however this is expected due to its size and location.

For the 2013 school year, Ceduna Area School had a permanent staff retention rate of 82.14%, which is consistent with the State average.

There are a range of incentives in place to support the recruitment of teachers in country areas. These include:

• The ability to request an alternative metropolitan placement after working in a country location for a specified period of time

• Country incentive zone and locality allowances and

• Access to subsidised Government Employee Housing

Ceduna Area School has a very high rate of staff turnover and is seeking further assistance in staff retention and recruitment.

TAFE SA has been moving toward an increased range of flexible training options that include blended delivery, mobile training, webinars and face-to-face sessions run in the local community.

Alternative education modes such as mobile teaching units, weekend or evening classes, short courses and intensive two-day workshops and video conferencing are expected to be expanded in the future. Where there is demand, TAFE SA may train and employ local people to deliver qualifications in the community.

The Ceduna Business and Tourism Association provide representation and input into the Far West Industry Leaders Group to ensure input from small and medium enterprises.

More training, development and support is needed for the region’s small to medium enterprises to assist them to cope with increased competition from online sales and larger retailers moving into the region.


Partnerships are being established in regions (up to 20 School and Pre School leaders working together) to build a culture of shared responsibility. The Education Director, while no longer directly line managing support personnel (Support Services, Teaching and Learning support, Leadership consultancy) is able to access the resources of DECD on the basis of the needs of each site.

The region’s schools are concerned that budget cuts have meant that there are no longer Assistant Regional Education Directors.

Education, Training and Employment continued

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COUNTRY CABINET


Continued exposure to academic success – such as increased Aboriginal participation in the South Australian Aboriginal Sports Training Academies (SAASTA) and Innovative Community Action Networks (ICANs) – is believed to improve Aboriginal learning outcomes.

It is hoped that access to a structured and culturally supportive educational system, with parents fully engaged, will over time increase the number of Aboriginal SACE completers, and increasingly more Aboriginal people will gain sustainable employment or become self-employed business owners and operators.

The State Government aims to increase the participation of Aboriginal families interacting with their children’s school (e.g. parent teacher nights, advisory councils, school board and volunteering at the school).

Following many attempts to attract the services of a qualified youth worker to Streaky Bay, Save the Children has provided some access to a qualified youth worker.

The local ICAN has been trying to collaborate with Regional Development Australia to open their grant funded projects so that schools can pay for access to their funded training programs for eligible students.

Registered Training Organisations cannot provide services at viable costs due to distance and expense. The Regional Manager of TAFE has been approached by ICAN to improve access to Skills for All and other TAFE courses on a fee for service basis. Open Access College has also been approached to support online learning.

Families SA Ceduna has been liaising with the Streaky Bay Area School primarily around planning involvement and gaining further information.

Families SA has also been referring clients from Streaky Bay to Centacare’s Targeted Intervention Program and the Personal Helpers and Mentor Program.

There is a need for greater exposure to positive role models for young Aboriginal people to improve their engagement with education.

A lack of local capacity to offer alternative programs is hampering the Streaky Bay Area School’s ability to utilise programs, such as Flexible Learning Options, for young people who have disengaged or are at high risk of disengaging from education.

Key issues

Education, Training and Employment continued

Our Response

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THE RESPONSE


ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTKey issues Our Response

The proposal has not been supported based on concerns that the activity may impact on nearby bird populations on St Peter Island. The proposed location was adjacent to the outermost boundary of the Nuyts Archipelago Conservation Park and fell within the regulated 1km buffer zone.

The Government is working closely with the licence holder to explore other alternative site options to assist the applicant to pursue razorfish farming in the Ceduna area.

The State Government will continue discussions with Flinders Ports, the owner of the facility.

Regions SA has been working with District Council of Ceduna to assist them in updating their previous business case for a dedicated fish unloading facility at Thevenard. The Council has applied for $3 million of Federal grant funding towards the cost of the project.

The Government will work with Council and provide support with their application for Federal funding.

The Government will also explore possible improvements or new innovation to better utilise the existing port facilities.

The Resources Infrastructure Taskforce has been established and is examining infrastructure options on the Eyre Peninsula.

At this stage, the State Government understands Iron Road Limited (IRD) is aiming to formally respond to the Environmental Impact Statement by mid to late April 2015.

The response will then be released for public consultation.

• The Regional Development Fund includes a Community Infrastructure Program providing $3 million per year to support regional communities to develop economic infrastructure and grow their capabilities as a foundation for future jobs and economic growth.

• As mining activity grows and demand for infrastructure increases, this program may be an appropriate source of funding for council.

• Other funding sources include the Federal Government’s new National Stronger Regions Fund.

A proposal was put forward to consider the establishment of a razorfish farm in Ceduna.

There is an urgent need to build a dedicated fish unloading facility at Port Thevenard to ensure the viability of fishing operations in the Great Australian Bight.

The Iron Road Mine development is an issue of concern for the Wudinna community, due to a lack of existing infrastructure to cope with the mine and minimal resources to expand community facilities to meet the needs of the anticipated expansion in the local population.

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COUNTRY CABINET


ENVIRONMENTKey issues Our Response

Australia’s offshore petroleum regulatory regime already places the onus on the operator to demonstrate to regulators that all exploration for, and extraction of, petroleum resources is undertaken in a safe and environmentally responsible manner.

Australia has a strong offshore petroleum safety and environmental regulatory regime. Our approach must be to continue to ensure oil and gas exploration and production in Australian waters is the best and safest in the world. That means we have a world-class regulatory system, diligent and effective regulators and competent and professional operators.

Companies will work closely with the fishing industry. BP expects interactions to be limited because their operations are further offshore than is typically trawled.

This Development Plan Amendment (DPA) reviews and updates coastal conservation areas and policies in the council area. It seeks to recognise the environmental, cultural and social significance of the coast at a time of increasing development pressure.

The DPA has been undertaken by Council and it has concluded its public consultation period. Council has lodged the DPA for approval with the Minister for Planning.

Council is seeking the Minister for Planning’s consideration of this matter as soon as possible to ensure that future development of the coastline is appropriately managed.

SASQAP fees are recovered from the shellfish industry based on a cost recovery policy. The policy is not based on beneficiaries and risk creators, it is a user pays policy - i.e. 100% cost recovery from those that are regulated. In this instance, SASQAP fees are in place primarily as a public health measure, which supports access to markets (local, national and international).

PIRSA will submit a business case to the LGA to partially recover some costs due to pollution run-off.

The community is seeking assurance from the Government that environmental protection practices for BP’s exploration activities in the Great Australian Bight will be world’s best practice and that information relating to this will be freely available to the public.

The region’s councils are seeking support from the State Government regarding Coastal Protection Conservation. Particular issues of concern include the Ceduna Waters development and restrictions on extending the Streaky Bay Cemetery.

The region’s oyster farmers are concerned about the fees they are required to pay for the South Australian Shellfish Quality Assurance Program (SASQAP).

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THE RESPONSE


ABINET West Coast - YourSAy · Elliston Coastal Trail. We also provided $8,000 to the KickstArt...

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Transcript of ABINET West Coast - YourSAy · Elliston Coastal Trail. We also provided $8,000 to the KickstArt...