Well, that was a wild, wet winter followed by a rough start to spring! I hope everyone stayed safe and dry during the recent storms and that the blackout didn't cause you too much inconvenience. 

While it all seemed like a bit of fun at the time, an opportunity to play board games with our family and find out where the candles were hidden, the consequences of last Wednesday's unprecedented power loss in South Australia will be felt for many years to come. 

While the Premier flip flops on what caused this situation, it is necessary for South Australia's leaders to take a long hard look at our energy security. For a whole state to lose electricity for a minimum of four hours (and two days in the case of some regional communities), reveals a worrying fragility within our state's energy system. Such a problem discourages investment and will cost South Australians jobs in the future. 

I am joining my Liberal Party colleagues in calling on the government to initiate a broad, independent inquiry to gain an understanding as to why South Australia has the nation's most expensive and least reliable power.

On a more positive note, temperatures appear to be creeping upwards (for now at least!) and Surf Life Saving season begins again this week. This will see our Beach for All mat rolled out at Seacliff as this beach continues to lead the way nationally in providing access to the water's edge for those who are unable to reach it otherwise. 

As summer approaches, I hope everyone has the opportunity to enjoy the good weather and our stunning coastline. Remember to swim between the flags and hopefully I'll see you down there soon! 

David.

Justice of the Peace now available at my office 

Is a nuclear waste dump a good idea?

As you are probably aware, the State Labor Government has put a proposal for a high-level nuclear waste facility on the table and South Australians are having to ask ourselves whether or not this proposal is a good idea for South Australia and its people. 

In my last newsletter, I highlighted a series of questions and invited you to give me feedback via an online survey and also a physical survey which I sent to the 30,000 households in my electorate. 

Although I am still receiving survey responses, a preliminary analysis shows that 65% of people who have responded are opposed to the concept of the dump, while many people have questions which they would like answered before making a decision one way or another. 

A summary of the survey results is below:

Rest assured I am still seeking answers to the important questions surrounding the potential establishment of a nuclear waste dump and, if you haven't told me already, please let me know what you think of this proposal by clicking the button below.

I have enjoyed supporting local residents throughout the process of setting up the Marino Community Garden which I believe is a great asset to our community. 

Located in Newland Avenue, Marino, this community garden gives residents the opportunity to grow their own plants, meet new people, learn about the environment and learn new skills.

The garden has three membership options:

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

Individual plot holder $50/year – includes raised bed 2.8 m x 1.2 m, supplied with soil and irrigation and community member benefits (limited number available)

Group plot holder $40/year – includes share in community plot and community member benefits; able to help plant, weed and care for shared plot (limited number available)

If you would like to be involved in the garden, whether by joining the organising committee or having a garden plot, you can contact the committee via email or call Chris Teale on 0404 896 844. You can also click here to keep up to date with the Marino Community Garden on Facebook. 

I look forward to seeing the community garden flourish as we head into spring. 

Congratulations to Seacliff Surf Life Saving Club for winning South Australian Surf Club of the Year at the recent Surf Life Saving SA Red and Yellow Ball. A big congratulations also to Jacinta Day from Seacliff Surf Club for winning nipper parent of the year!

It has been great to work alongside this club and their President Andrew Chandler (pictured top right) over the past year as they continue to keep our beaches safe and also deliver the Beach for All project, making Seacliff South Australia's first accessible beach.

The Beach for All mat will be rolled out again at the start of the Surf Life Saving Season which is this weekend — Saturday 8 October. The mat will be out from 1.00 pm until 5.00 pm in front of Seacliff Hotel on Surf Life Saving patrol days (Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays) from now until March.

I wish Seacliff Surf Club all the best with their bid to now win Surf Club of the Year nationally!

Fixing Oaklands Crossing

Pictured with Federal Infrastructure Minister Paul Fletcher, Member for Boothby Nicolle Flint, Shadow Transport Minister David Pisoni and Member for Mitchell Corey Wingard 

The saga which is Oaklands Crossing continues unabated with the State Labor Government engaged in an unattractive game of spin when it comes to looking for a long-term solution for this traffic nightmare in the midst of our community. 

During the 2016 Federal Election, my colleague Corey Wingard and I were delighted when Federal Liberal MP Nicolle Flint pledged that a re-elected Turnbull government would provide $40 million towards a solution for this crossing. The Oaklands Crossing is state infrastructure which means attracting federal funding of this nature is unusual, but greatly welcomed.

It is now time for the State Labor Government to commit the remainder of the funding required for a project which is likely to cost between $150 and $200 million.

In addition, the state government has been very tricky when it comes to providing costings or even concept plans for what a solution would look like. Over the years, they have thrown around glossy images of potential solutions and in 2012 spent $2 million on a feasibility study which suggested that a train overpass was the preferred option. Four years later, the government now has an underpass as a potential option in its glossy photo library! 

Our community deserves better and I am calling on the State Labor Government to sit down with the Federal Government and come up with a solution that will solve this problem once and for all. 

The thousands of residents who drive through this crossing each day deserve a clear pathway forward rather than silly political games. 

You can join the Liberal campaign to fix the crossing at: www.fixoaklandscrossing.com.au

Public Transport - my priority 

The provision of high-quality public transport is one of my key priorities and I have often stated that I believe the great cities of the world are characterised by strong public transport systems.

I remain solidly committed to doing my bit to improve Adelaide's train, tram and bus services and I am working hard to ensure the Liberal Party has a strong suite of public transport policies which will put people first and grow patronage. 

Below is an update on some of the work I have been doing in this area. 

Train horns

As many of you would know, the train horns on the electric trains have been a significant impost on our local community and one that we have fought hard to fix.

From my position in opposition it can be hard to discover the facts, but I recently undertook a detailed Freedom of Information request to find out more about the horns by getting my hands on government documents relating to horn usage.

I note from the documents I received that there is actually a ‘high’ horn and a ‘low’ horn and drivers can use their discretion as to which horn they sound. It is my opinion that the high horn should be reserved only for emergencies and I will continue to push for this.  

The documents also canvassed a variety of modifications to the train horns, including repositioning the horns to the bottom of all trains and I have written again to the minister to find out exactly what measures have been undertaken and whether any further measures are being considered. Unfortunately, it has been over five months since I wrote to the Minister requesting this information and, despite following it up, I am still yet to hear anything.

Maintenance issues on the Seaford line

A couple of months ago, thousands of passengers were seriously inconvenienced following a power outage which shut the line, leaving some commuters trapped in trains and forcing road closures.

While the electrification of the Seaford Line has given our community a fantastic public transport asset, there's no denying that the upgrade has been plagued by problems. From huge delays in the initial electrification process to the invasive train horn; from snapping overhead cables, to a major power outage; this project continues to fall short of its full potential. 

Fare evader or faulty system?

Recently a constituent boarded a train and, when validating, discovered he needed to recharge his metrocard. Upon looking at the onboard ticket machine, he discovered that it does not take notes and that it requires a minimum of $5 in coins, leaving him with no choice but to go into Adelaide central train station and purchase a ticket there. Unfortunately, on his way to the customer service booth at Adelaide train station, he was apprehended by transit police who fined him $220. A similar situation arose just last week when a woman was left stranded in the city after she was refused a bus ticket because she did not have the correct change. 

I believe the rigid system in place on our public transport system makes it extremely inconvenient and difficult for people to recharge their Metrocards, leading to situations like the ones described here. 

We need to do everything we can to encourage people to take public transport and minimise the excuses people have to jump in their cars and this includes making it easy for people to purchase tickets online, at train stations and onboard public transport.

Tell me what you think the priorities for our public transport network should be!