Time flies! It’s hard to believe that it has been a year since I was elected to represent you in our state’s Parliament.

Being a Member of Parliament is a great job which, although filled with challenges, is diverse, interesting and often fun. I feel blessed to be in a position where I can meet people from all walks of life, share your stories and work to represent you on local and state issues.    

As I connect with local residents I sense that the historical ties which voters have had with political parties are breaking down. First and foremost people want someone in this job who thinks and acts independently within their party; who is not afraid to challenge the status quo and is a representative who does just that: represents them.

The Queensland election and ongoing federal polling show a high level of volatility in the electorate which was described by journalist Troy Bramston as ‘accountability politics’, with the electorate much more likely now than in the past to punish politicians who are perceived as underperforming or out of touch. This is a warning for anyone involved in politics to lift their game, put the needs of communities first and continually communicate about what is going on.

Last week I received a bit of attention when I delivered a speech in Parliament calling for improved conduct in the chamber. I receive many complaints and comments about this matter, but I was prompted to make this speech when I recently had 20 guests visit parliament and they later spoke to me about their disgust at the behaviour of politicians. While I am conscious of sounding sanctimonious about this matter, I do continually receive feedback from our community that, while they expect there to be robust debate in parliament, parliamentarians need to strive to work together for the good of South Australia. There are many challenges facing our state at the moment and none of them will be solved by poor behaviour in the Parliament. You can read my speech here.

I hope that in my first year in the job I have been able to demonstrate some of these qualities and I relish the opportunity to continue this approach in 2015.

David.

During the election campaign, I worked with the community to come up with six priorities for our community. These are the areas I want to work on with the community to drive improvements. Each year I will provide an annual report on the progress being made on each of the priorities. To read my full annual report visit www.davidspeirs.com.au/annual-report-a-year-in-bright.

Work began late last year on Hallett Cove's much-anticipated War Memorial, with the initiative scheduled to be finished for the commemorations being organised to mark the centenary of the Gallipoli landings. The Lions Club of Hallett Cove is organising a dawn memorial event at the foreshore for the centenary on 25 April 2015, while a youth vigil will be held during the night leading up to the dawn service (details below). This is the first time that Hallett Cove will host a commemoration and I hope it will be the first of many.

The project is focused on the southern end of Hallett Cove’s foreshore park, with works including:

•    a low standing stone memorial wall
•    feature garden beds
•    flag poles and lighting
•    paving
•    memorial seats
•    a new shelter structure, BBQ and picnic tables
•    associated landscaping, turf, irrigation and planting.

It has been a privilege to be involved in this project for the last few years and exciting to see it finally unfolding.

Less than five years after it was opened, it appears as if the government has decided to close the Hallett Cove Police Station. While a final decision has not yet been made, the closure seems imminent and, if it goes ahead, would break a 2006 election commitment for a permanent local police presence.

There is always a need for more patrols and more police officers on our streets, and the overwhelming feedback I have received shows that our community feels more secure and confident with the police presence here. I believe the closure of this station would be a disappointing outcome for Hallett Cove residents who lobbied hard for a greater police presence in the area.

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.

The need for better internet access is something which comes up on a lot on Hallett Cove doorsteps. I have experienced firsthand how frustrating the current internet access/speed is and

Recently I caught up with federal Communications Minister, Malcolm Turnbull, to talk about the NBN rollout and to find out what this means for Hallett Cove. I am pleased to report that the NBN is coming to Hallett Cove next year, wich will mean a huge lift in internet capacity. Once work is complete, all those who are struggling with internet speeds should be able to access fibre-delivered broadband.

I emphasised to Minister Turnbull the importance of this work and the enthusiasm with which it will be met. I will keep you up-to-date with any news that I receive on the NBN rollout. 

Boral and their local team are striving to improve operations at the Lindwood Quarry site so that their activities will have a minimum impact on those that live in close proximity to this site.

They are currently undertaking an assessment to find out more about community perceptions of the site, including how those living near the quarry feel about its operations.

The information Boral gathers from the exercise will be used to inform operational improvements, as well as the development of future plans and community interactions for the site. With this in mind, I definitely think it is worth making the time to give your feedback. You can give your feedback in the following ways:

• Email: feedback@boral.com.au

• Phone: 02 9033 5215

• Mail: c/- Stakeholder Relations Manager - Boral Property Group, PO Box 42 Wentworthville NSW 2145

At the beginning of the year, I had the privilege of being able to travel to Zimbabwe as a guest of World Vision. Zimbabwe has been brought to its knees as a result of corrupt leadership and I witnessed a country that seems paralysed by fear and choked by bureaucracy.
 
While there I travelled to a rural area known as Zvishvani. Here the sealed roads ended and travel was via a network of sandy paths. After a couple of hours we reached a community which is supported by World Vision Australia and which is desperately trying to build a local school. Young people have to walk 15km to school in the morning and 15km home in the afternoon. That’s the equivalent of walking between Hallett Cove and Glenelg, the length of my electorate, twice a day!

There’s no doubt that going to a place like Zimbabwe changes your perspective; many of the issues detailed in this newsletter – while important locally – would fade into insignificance in Zimbabwe, where life expectancy is one of the lowest in the world and unemployment is at 80%.

I’m keen to use my position of influence in Australia to partner with World Vision to help a regional community in Zimbabwe, and I want as many organisations, schools, churches, service clubs and other groups in my electorate to join me. If you’re interested in being involved, please get in touch with my office.

The best way to do this job is to front up on doorsteps and talk to people, listening to what they believe are the priorities for our community and using what I find out to shape my work.

With this in mind, during the months of March/April, I will be making a concerted effort to communicate face to face with hundreds of local residents. Taking advantage of what will hopefully be mild autumn weather (here's hoping!), I have set myself a target to knock on 1,000 doors. As I write this update, I am currently a quarter of the way to my goal!

If I don't knock on your door during this campaign, I hope I will have the opportunity to do so shortly and you can always contact me at bright@parliament.sa.gov.au or catch up with what I'm doing by visiting my website: www.davidspeirs.com.au

In 2014 I launched the Bright Christmas Appeal which ran for a month and was promoted through email, social media and also at Christmas in the Garden, a Christmas function for volunteers. This appeal supported three local causes: Parkinson’s SA, Kingston Historic House and the Hallett Cove South Primary School playground fund.

I am pleased to relay to you that the appeal raised $512.00 and, as the funds were split equally between the three causes, each of the above causes received a cheque for $170. 

Thank you to everyone who supported the Bright Christmas Appeal and I am glad that we can be part of supporting these great causes.

To celebrate the incredible contribution of volunteers, I hosted the inaugural Christmas in the Garden event late last year which was attended by approximately 70 volunteers from 30 different clubs and organisations.

It was great to catch up with other likeminded, community-focused locals and to have the opportunity to say thank you personally to the many groups that I work alongside.

How we treat our animals is often said to be a reflection on humankind. Animal welfare is important to many people I speak to in the electorate and I have been proud to champion legislation which the Liberal Party has introduced into parliament to crack down on puppy farms and also legislation to regulate the greyhound racing industry following the appalling revelations on ABC’s ‘Four Corners’. I am hopeful that the state Labor Government will provide bipartisan support for these important new laws.

Cost of living pressures are continually eating into our discretionary incomes and lowering the quality of life experienced by many South Australians. The government’s recent hike to the Emergency Services Levy has greatly increased this tax, with many households paying hundreds of dollars more than their last bill.  The Liberal Party has announced that if elected at the next election we will restore the levy to its previous levels.

The most financially vulnerable people in our community are those who survive on fixed incomes. Government should be looking out for these people rather than adding to their cost of living. The state Liberal Party will block the removal of pensioner concessions in the Upper House (where we will combine our numbers with the minor parties) to ensure that this vital concession is maintained.  This will help thousands of people living in my electorate who rely on this support.

When Dr Paul Kerin resigned as head of the Essential Services Commission last year, he said that the state government was ‘stymying’ efforts to reduce water prices and had ‘no interest’ in reform of serving customers interests. It has now become clear that the government uses SA Water as a cash cow to prop up its budget, costing South Australian households dearly in excessive water bills.  The Liberals are initiating an inquiry into water pricing in this state to create pressure for a better system.

The announcement that the Repatriation Hospital will be closed has caused huge outrage in the community. The loss of this facility will be a tremendous blow to high quality care in South Australia and will put a tremendous pressure on other hospitals.

The Liberal Party has taken a strong and vocal stance against the closure because it simply does not make sense to us. We acknowledge the need to have a finacially sustainable health system, but we just cannot hit our most vulnerable. The Liberal Party has put together an online petition to help put pressure on the government that this closure is unacceptable. You can sign it here: www.savetherepat.com

Surf life saving is a great way of life and something I’ve enjoyed being part of for many years. There are three surf clubs in Bright: Seacliff, Brighton and Somerton.

To support and celebrate the work of surf life saving in South Australia, I have co-convened the Parliamentary Friends of Surf Life Saving with Chris Picton, the MP for the south coast seat of Kaurna. We will work closely with Surf Life Saving South Australia to host and attend events which promote life saving.

Where: Perry Barr Farm (The Barn), Qualio Avenue, Hallett Cove

When: Wednesday 29 April, 7.30 pm