Welcome to the latest edition of @Hallett Cove, your local community newsletter providing a roundup of what’s happening in and around Hallett Cove.

In the few months since my last update, I’ve been out and about, connecting with our community and meeting with many Hallett Cove groups and residents. It’s great to see the council move ahead with the foreshore upgrade, a project I believe will be of great benefit to all of Hallett Cove. 

Talking of the council, we have local government elections coming up in October/November and it’s good to see a diverse range of local people putting their hands up to represent us. Local councils provide an incredible amount of services and I encourage you to research your candidates and take the time to vote for the people who will be responsible for managing Marion’s $65 million budget! I look forward to working closely with Hallett Cove’s new councillors when they take office.

As always, if I can be of any assistance with local or state issues, give my office a call, that’s what we’re here for. 

David

Less than five years after it was opened, Hallett Cove Police Station is at risk of closure, with the government reviewing the future of shopfront stations. 

If this closure goes ahead, it will break a 2006 election commitment for a permanent local police presence and would be a disappointing outcome for Hallett Cove residents who lobbied hard for a greater police presence in the area.

Crime rates have fallen in Hallett Cove in recent years and I believe that our community feels more secure and confident with the police presence there.

Click here to fill out my short, 3 question survey and enable me to gain insight into what you think of the potential closure and what its impact will be on the community.

Thank you in advance for sharing your thoughts with me. It’s only through connection with the community that I can be a relevant and useful representative in state Parliament. 

Work will soon begin to transform the southern (Grand Central Avenue) end of Hallett Cove’s foreshore, creating a commemorative space in time for ANZAC centenary commemorations. 

Many of you would remember that during the election campaign, I enthusiastically advocated for this project and while a Liberal Government was not elected (meaning that a state government contribution isn’t available for the project), Marion Council has listened to the community’s voice and will push ahead with the foreshore project, with the development of a memorial first on the list.

Construction and landscaping will commence in late 2014 and will be completed prior to April 2015, in time for the ANZAC centenary commemorations.

The scope of this project includes development of a memorial wall, feature garden bed, flag poles, paving, seating, landscaping, a new shelter structure, BBQ facilities and picnic tables, and associated turf and planting. The existing shelter and BBQ adjacent to the proposed memorial wall will be removed and the Kaurna Tjilbruke cairn will be relocated to the southern end of the site.

Work has already began to repair and improve the shelters around the foreshore and residents passing the area would have seen that the existing shelters have been fenced off while work takes place. 

The Lions Club of Hallett Cove will be organising a memorial event at the foreshore for the centenary on 25 April 2015.  This is the first time that Hallett Cove will host a commemoration and I hope it will be the first of many. 

The council will continue to explore how it can deliver the broader master plan for the entire foreshore, with a staged approach likely. I will keep you up-to-date with what I hear on this front.  

I look forward to continuing to work alongside the council and community as Hallett Cove’s foreshore is brought to life.

As a regular train commuter, I have been taking our new electric trains from home to Adelaide on days when Parliament is sitting. The trains are spacious, modern and enjoyable to travel in. 

I’m a big believer in public transport and want to see more investment in Adelaide’s fragmented public transport network. The electrification is a great first step to modernising the system and encouraging more people off our congested roads and onto trains, but this is only half the answer.

We have the new trains, but now we need to turn our attention to user experience: planning for the people. Our public transport needs to make people want to use public transport, minimising the excuses people will have to jump in their cars. Put simply, it needs to be equally (or more) convenient and pleasant to driving. Some areas I think we need to look at include:   

• train stations, are they pleasant and safe places to visit and spend time in? Do they achieve their primary purpose of providing shelter?
• the role of modern technology in public transport. Are we able to create an environment where the train or bus becomes an extension of the office? I’m pleased to see Adelaide Metro trialling Wi-Fi in some trains and buses, but this has a long way to go before it’s truly reliable.
• seamless connections between buses and trains, to improve the reach and convenience of services deeper into the suburbs.
• reliability remains a big reason why people will or will not take public transport. Regular commuters on the Seaford Line will know that trains are frequently late and this is undermining our faith in the service. 
• comfort, peak hour trains are packed with standing room only by the time trains get to Seacliff or Brighton in the morning. I have been assured that this will improve once all electric trains are running, but in the meantime its off-putting to many potential travellers.

I’ll continue to lobby the Transport Minister for the best possible train service and if you have any suggestions for our local train or bus network, please get in touch with me.

I have recently been contacted by local residents expressing concern about the increasing incidence of rubbish being dumped on the fringes of Hallett Cove Heights.

I know from my time on Marion Council that this has been an ongoing issue and I am determined to stamp it out. Dumped rubbish degrades our entire community and reduces the amenity of the area. 

The council has responsibility for this matter and I have met with council officers to discuss it. In response the council have undertaken the following:

• the council’s Open Space team has collected the most recently dumped rubbish
• two mail drops advising residents of available disposal options and methods of reporting incidents have been made in the immediate area
• the permanent "Keep Marion Beautiful" signs at the Cove Sports entrance road will be inspected and/or reinstated as necessary
• the council's temporary "Don't Dump Your Junk" message boards will be applied along Oval Road at the next rotation, which is within the month.

Residents who find dumped rubbish should report it to the council as soon as possible by calling 8375 6600 or by emailing council@marion.sa.gov.au. Additionally, if you are able to safely record details of the offender, including photographs or video, I encourage you to do so.

In August I hosted a free seniors forum in partnership with Alzheimer’s Australia. It was attended by over 100 guests who gave great feedback on how informative, interesting and interactive the event was. Guests were able to give feedback on how to make our community more dementia friendly and I will be working alongside state and local government, community groups and the public to achieve dementia friendly status in Bright.

Pictured: Left to right, David Speirs MP, John Stewart (Alzheimer’s Australia) Steven Marshall MP, and Barrie Anderson

Building on the success of our last seniors’ forum in August, I will be hosting a free seniors’ forum on Advanced Care Directives.

An Advanced Care Directive is a legal form that allows people to write down their wishes, preferences and instructions for future health care, end of life, living arrangements and personal matters and/or appoint one or more Substitute Decision-Makers to make these decisions on their behalf when they are unable to do so themselves. These directives are a great initiative and ensure that your wishes are respected when you are vulnerable. 

Where: Lighthouse Community Church, Jetty Road, Brighton
Time: 2.00 pm - 4.00 pm on Tuesday 25 November 2014 (afternoon tea provided)

Expert guest: Margaret Brown from the University of South Australia will be our guest speaker and will explain more about Advanced Care Directives. She will answer your questions and talk you through filling out a directive.

RSVP: Ruth van den Brink on (08) 8296 9833 or at ruth.vandenbrink@parliament.sa.gov.au

It was a great pleasure to host Hallett Cove R-12 School year eight students on Friday 22 August for an environmental tour of the Lower Field River as well as a tree planting session.

The Lower Field River has always been a passion of mine since becoming a founding member of the Friends of the Lower Field River Group in 2006. At that time the river was an environmental nightmare and it was only through a dedicated group of volunteers that the river has thrived and now stands testimony to what can be achieved over time, if a community pull together.

In view of the above, it was indeed a great pleasure for me to see local students engaging with nature and assisting our fragile eco-system. In years to come I hope that they will be able to look back on the young saplings that they have planted and take pride in the fully matured River Red Gums that will eventually line the Lower Field River.

The Hallett Cove Beach Tennis Club was founded in 1980 and has grown to be a successful, community-based club. It is located at Shamrock Reserve, Hallett Cove and has six courts, three of which are under lights.  Recently, I had the privilege of becoming a club patron and this has enabled me to learn more about the club and help promote what it does.

This club is a vital part of the Hallett Cove community and facilitates senior and junior competition (both winter and summer seasons), Tuesday morning ladies tennis and Tuesday night mixed social tennis.

The club offers accredited tennis coaching, the opportunity to play tennis at a level that suits you, a co-ordinated and inclusive approach to junior tennis programs, and the opportunity for you to belong to a worthwhile community based sporting club.

Whether you’re interested in social or competition tennis or just want to meet people in the community and get fit, Hallett Cove Beach Tennis Club would love to welcome you. Visit www.tennis.com.au/hallettcovebeachtc to find out more e-mail hallettcovebeachtc@gmail.com. For coaching enquiries call Ian Pickering on 0448 005 990.

Recently I met with an ambassador from Kidney Health Australia whose wife is one of the many Australians affected by Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) and it prompted me to use this newsletter to encourage people to regularly check up on all aspects of their health.

Adult Australians are at increased risk of CKD if they have high blood pressure, diabetes, smoke, are obese, have a family history of kidney failure, are over 60 years of age, are of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander origin, and/or have established cardiovascular disease. If you have one or more of these risk factors for kidney disease you should see your doctor about a kidney health check. You can also get a kidney health check through some pharmacies.

There isn’t currently a cure for kidney disease, but early detection is key to slow the progression of this disease.

Smartphone users – have you heard of the My Local Services App? This app delivers local council information on things like waste collection, events, your councillors and facilities. It also allows you to report maintenance issues and receive council news. 

I use the app for bringing maintenance issues to the council’s attention. When I’m out and about doorknocking and making visits in the electorate, I often come across uneven pavements, damaged drain covers, graffiti vandalism, and a range of other things that need to be brought to the local council’s attention. So using My Local Services, I take a photograph on my iPhone and simply load it up as a report, which is automatically GPS-located, and forwarded to either Marion or Holdfast Bay Council (whichever I’m in).

Available on Android and iOS (iPhones).

Garage Sale Trail is a day that will see thousands of garage sales occur across the country at the same time. It is for households, streets, neighbourhoods, community groups, schools, charities, makers and creators. Absolutely everyone can get involved!

Garage Sale Trail is about sustainability, community, fundraising and having a whole heap of fun. It's free for community members to register and anyone can register a sale. This event encourages people to be waste wise, but it's also about connecting people in the community.

Anyone can see what sales are happening or register their sale on www.garagesaletrail.com.au. If you are hosting a sale, whether individually or corporately, make sure you check out the ‘how to guides’ at www.garagesaletrail.com.au/how-to-guides.

The Cove Fair
A community event bringing together service and community clubs in the district for the enjoyment of music and entertainment.

Cost: Free
Where: Cove Sports and Community Club, Oval Road, Hallett Cove
When: Sunday 26 October 2014, 11.00 am – 4.00 pm

Girls Connected @ Cove Youth Service
This event is for girls aged 11-18 with Autism or Aspergers. The aim is for the girls to connect with other girls through activities that promote social skills such as art, craft, cooking, dance and games. Parents also attend to develop their support network. Bookings are essential.

Cost: Free
Where: Cove Youth Service, 11/1 Zwerner Drive, Hallett Cove
When: Friday 17 October 2014, 4.30 pm – 5.30 pm (and every Friday afternoon during school term)

High Tea at Kingston House
Enjoy a selection of gourmet savouries, assorted cakes and slices, scones with jam and cream, tea and coffee. Bookings and pre-payment are essential. For further information and to book, please enquire at the house or contact Coralie on 8358 2445.

Cost: $30.00
Where: Kingston House, Cameron Avenue, Kingston Park
When: Saturday 1 November 2014, 2.30 pm - 4.30 pm

Hallett Cove Neighbourhood Watch meeting
Where: Perry Barr Farm (The Barn), Quailo Avenue, Hallett Cove
When: Wednesday 15 October 2014, 7.30 pm