The Marine Life Society of South Australia is engaged with, or intends to engage with, Government and the general public on a variety of marine conservation issues relevant to the state. These include (but are not limited to):
- the population of the Giant Australian Cuttlefish in Northern Spencer Gulf
- environmental impacts of coastal developments
- environmental impacts of marine aquaculture
- the future of the old Port Stanvac Jetty site
- marine mammal interactions & legislation
- marine parks zoning and management
- proposed port developments & shipping
- proposed seawater desalination plants & regulation
- protection of the Western Blue Groper
- protection of the Harlequin Fish
- the statewide decline of Little Penguin populations
- Seagrass decline in GSV (for which minimal research funding is current).
- Urgent need for ongoing funding to monitor the SA population of the critically endangered Australian Sea lion (some experts predict the species will soon become extinct in the wild, and SA is now their last stronghold, if the word can be used in this sorry context, because the Victorian population has almost vanished and WA has only a few small, remote breeding colonies in the Bight).
Steve, we need to update this. Port Stanvac jetty is gone. And I suggest adding
# Seagrass decline in GSV (for which minimal research funding is current).
# Urgent need for ongoing funding to monitor the SA population of the critically endangered Australian Sealion (some experts predict the species will soon become extinct in the wild, and SA is now their last stronghold, if the word can be used in this sorry context, because the Victorian population has almost vanished and WA has only a few small, remote breeding colonies in the Bight).
Another current coastal environment issue-for which urgent further public consultation is needed, in the context of recent public consultation ‘initiatives ‘ by Yankalilla District Council having been effectively ignored by this same local council- is the Normanville Foreshore Master Plan for ‘redevelopment ‘.
Local residents and other ratepayers eg those with holiday homes in the LGA have already, with little information at our disposal, unwittingly funded many tens of thousands of dollars via council engaging private sector contractors to produce one of the most skeletal (and in my mind effectively childish almost to the point of being unprofessional) Draft Master Plans I’ve ever read.
I live near the area of Foreshore covered by the Master Plan and I can tell you that out of 140 written responses to one aspect of the plan- replacement of single storey public van park cabins with an increased number of cabins with most being 2 storey cabins where none currently exist- 139 were against and 1 was in favour!!
Just days later, lo and behold we read a glowing article in the Advertiser newspaper saying how excited and happy the Mayor, CE and several elected members were about the seemingly full steam ahead,inevitable progression of the Master Plan, especially the proposed 2 storey cabins. Which will be on Community Title land donated many decades ago by some highly regarded local landholders, farmers in the main. Donated to the community, not to the Council.
I could go on, but if 139/140 against didn’t even dent the Council’s determination to proceed, what would it take?
Answer:at least another 1000 emails or letters to the council, urgently!
David Muirhead