Someone once said to me that I would find being in Opposition frustrating as it is only government MPs who have the power to drive change. 

I could have taken this one of two ways. I could have used it as an excuse to sit back and relax for the term, or I could take it as a challenge to prove them wrong and use my position as a local MP to make things happen. I chose the latter. 

Through tenacious advocacy, building relationships, advancing ideas and providing leadership, I have spent my first two years in office working hard to deliver for our community.

The Beach for All initiative, profiled in this newsletter, is a great example of our community working together to make something happen. As a result of this amazing partnership, Seacliff beach is now South Australia’s first wheelchair accessible beach! 

In this newsletter I provide an update on my six priorities, outlining achievements delivered under my focus areas for the 2014-2018 term. It is exciting to look back on the things that have been achieved this year, but it is also a reminder that there is plenty more to do.

I look forward to working with you to achieve more for our community throughout 2016.

David.

Beach for All

Beach for All stands out at the proudest moment of my career so far. On Australia Day, a group of around 50 local people gathered at Seacliff to see South Australia’s first wheelchair accessible beach become a reality. 

Most people take walking on the beach for granted. In our community, where the coast is a central part of life, getting sand between our toes and letting salt water lap over our feet is often an antidote to the busyness and stresses of life; so imagine only being able to look at the beach from afar, trapped on the Esplanade while family members and friends head to the water’s edge. 

Back in September, I was tagged in a social media post showing a pathway across the soft sand on a Balinese beach. Taken by the concept, I decided this should be more than a feel-good post on Facebook; it should be something we have here in South Australia.

An online fundraising website was established in October and we quickly discovered that this was an idea which resonated with the community. Donations, large and small, flooded in from individuals, businesses and community organisations, making the beach access mat a possibility.

On Australia Day, Charlie Rowland, a 17-year-old Seacliff Park resident and spinal atrophy sufferer (pictured below), was able to travel down the pathway and cut the ribbon as our inaugural user, reaching the water’s edge without his family carrying him for the first time in his life. It was an emotional moment for everyone present, including me. 

Since the launch, I have spoken to people who had never been able to visit the beach before and others who hadn’t been there for many years. I have also spoken to surf clubs, local councils and other stakeholders all over Australia about making more of our beaches accessible. Just last week, the Gold Coast City Council announced that it is looking to Seacliff's leadership as it works to make its beaches more accessible; a fantastic outcome! You can read more about this success here. 

During the trial, the beach access mat was rolled out by Seacliff Surf Life Saving Club from Australia Day through to the Easter Weekend. Now that the trial is complete, we will take stock of the feedback we’ve received and look to the future. I’m hopeful that we will be able to extend its hours of operation at some point, making Seacliff beach even more accessible.

Click here to continue to follow the Beach for All journey.

Donations honour board: 

·       Rotary Club of Brighton: $5,000 

·       Bendigo Bank Marion Branch: $2,000 

·       City of Holdfast Bay: $1,000

·       Lions Club of Hallett Cove and Districts: $500

·       EnerG+ Personal Training: $500

Lions Club of Hallett Cove and Districts

My 2015/16 Annual Report

When I ran for election, I worked with our community to develop six priorities which would shape my approach to being your local representative. While these areas do not constitute all of my work as a Member of Parliament, they are areas of significant importance to local people and, as such, I work hard to deliver progress across each priority.   

To ensure that I am accountable to our community, I publish an annual report each April reflecting on what has been achieved over the past year. 

Unsightly Buildings campaign

Click here to let me know if there is an unsightly building near you.

We live in a beautiful part of South Australia and most people take great pride in the amenity and upkeep of their personal homes, their surroundings and the local area. 

Given this, it is a shame that derelict sites are left in a state of disrepair, dragging down the overall appearance of particular areas and attracting further vandalism and graffiti.

I personally find this unacceptable and, as such, I launched a campaign in February to clean up unsightly buildings in our local area.

The buildings I targeted in particular included 65 Oaklands Road, Somerton Park, a disused commercial building covered in graffiti and with broken windows; the rear of a Brighton Road building extending into Gregory Street, Brighton, constantly defaced with various graffiti tags; and also the former Mobil service station on the corner of Stephenson Avenue and Brighton Road, South Brighton.

These are sites that are probably well known to most people for all the wrong reasons and I am pleased to report that two of the three have now been painted and tidied up.

The disused service station continues to leave a lot to be desired, but the removal of graffiti and weeds from this building is a huge improvement. This site obviously needs to be remediated and a new purpose found for, but in the meantime, I will continue to keep an eye on it and do my best to ensure it remains clean and tidy and does not detract from the amenity of our community.

I will also continue my campaign to ensure other unsightly buildings in the area are cleaned up, including fighting for tougher legislation to deal with this problem if required.

Day: Monday 25 April
Time: 6.00 am 
Location: Arch of Remembrance at Brighton Jetty

Anzac Day Dawn Service

This year’s Dawn Service at Brighton is coordinated by the Brighton RSL sub-branch, with the assistance of the SA Pipes and Drums, the Marion Salvation Army Band, the Brighton Secondary School Head Prefects and Choir and the First Hallett Cove Scout Group. Following the Dawn Service, the Brighton RSL will host breakfast for a gold coin donation at the RSL clubrooms – Keelara Street Brighton (entrance behind the Brighton Civic Centre).

I am privileged to be able to speak at this year’s Dawn Service and I hope you will join me in commemorating our fallen diggers on this important day of remembrance.

Marino Community Garden: join now!

After quite a wait, and a lot of perseverance by dedicated volunteers, the Marino Community Garden is about to become a reality.  

On Sunday 17 April, from 9.30 am the garden's committee is looking for volunteers to come along and help them get started.  

The focus will be on building raised garden beds and filling them with soil and mulch ready for winter planting. Volunteers are asked to bring a shovel (if they have one), gloves and a hat.  

The garden is also now open  for membership with 3 categories:

Community member $30 includes invites to workshops, social activities, BBQ etc.

Individual plot holder - $50 annual fee for raised bed 2.8m x 1.2m, supplied with soil, and irrigation, and benefits of community member, limited number available

Group plot holder -  $40 annual fee for share in community plot, able to help plant, weed and care for shared plot and have benefits of community member, limited number available

If you would like to be involved in the garden, whether that's by joining the organising committee or having a garden plot, you can contact the committee via email at marinocommunitygarden@hotmail.com or call Steven Barratt on 0408 644 080. Another way you can  support the garden is by clicking ​here to purchase $2 raffle tickets.

I look forward to seeing the community garden flourish in the coming months. 

Fix Oaklands Crossing

The congestion disaster unfolding every day at the Oaklands crossing at Oaklands Park is frequently raised with me by locals who waste their valuable time sitting in long traffic jams.

We have been promised a solution for decades, but nothing has been delivered and the government’s inaction shows a complete lack of understanding of the necessity of this project within our community.  

I have been working closely with my colleague Mr Corey Wingard, Member for Mitchell, who is leading a campaign on this issue and we will both continue to fight for a solution. The campaign has recently ramped up and a dedicated website has been developed as a discussion point to identify concerns and solutions so we can continue to move toward fixing Oaklands crossing.

Community Business Directory

Recently I released my Community Business Directory, a compilation of local businesses that have joined my ‘Buy Local’ campaign and have advertised in this grassroots publication. 

The directory was put together with the support of Bendigo Bank Marion and aims to help readers discover businesses in our local area that are keen for your support in tough economic times.

The directory has been delivered to every household in the electorate; however, if you didn’t receive yours or have misplaced it, please get in touch with my office and we’ll be more than happy to send you one.

Policy updates

In ​March, the Liberal Party launched '2036', a manifesto that outlines what we stand for and the key priorities we will focus on if elected in 2018. We believe this document provides a clear and strong foundation upon which we will build policies to transform South Australia. You can read 2036 here. 

Government follows Liberals lead on Uber

On 31 March this year, State Liberal Leader Steven Marshall announced that the State Liberals would introduce legislation to allow ride-sharing services, such as UberX, to legally operate in South Australia. UberX is popular interstate and overseas, but has so far been banned from operating in South Australia. 

Ride-sharing increases competition, gives customers a broader range and choice of services, and improves transport reliability and customer service and I am pleased to report that the government has now decided to backflip on their opposition to ride-sharing, agreeing with Liberal Party policy and allowing UberX to operate from 1 July 2016. Read more here.

Reinvigorating Glenelg Jetty

In its prime, Glenelg Jetty housed city baths, a tea house and even an aquarium, and I am delighted to have worked with colleagues to promote a project that could see it returned to its former glory.

The proposed redevelopment of Glenelg Jetty is aimed at reinvigorating the foreshore, creating jobs and attracting tourism and the plan includes expanding the size of the existing jetty to facilitate commercial development including a hotel, restaurants, and recreational facilities.

This project would redefine Glenelg and ensure that Adelaide's premier coastal destination has an exciting future as a key part of South Australia's tourism industry. Find out more here .

Rate capping

Council rate rises are just too high and have become a real cost of living burden on many South Australian households. In the last year alone, some councils have increased their rates by up to triple the rate of inflation and this is not sustainable for households already struggling with the soaring cost of living.

This is a concern that has been firmly on my radar since my time on Marion Council several years ago and one that I have been a strong proponent of, initiating an inquiry last year into council rate rises through my role on parliament's Economic and Finance Committee. 

In response to the results of this inquiry, the State Liberals introduced legislation into Parliament in March to impose a cap on council rate rises, preventing unnecessary rate hikes. Read more here.  

Welcome Rev Dianna Muir

I’d like to welcome Rev Dianna Muir as the new minister of Brighton Uniting Church.

Dianna comes to Brighton after a diverse career which most recently included a stint as chaplain in Western Australia’s minefields.

She brings a wealth of experience and stories to share with the wider Brighton community and can be contacted on 8298 6528.

I look forward to working alongside Dianna as she settles into Brighton and her sea change.

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