Ideas for the Future

In recent months the Port Adelaide Environment Forum has hosted two Forums where participants have identified current concerns about our local environment and what changes we as community members would seek.

The first Forum, on April 20th, developed a local contribution to the EPA’s State of the Environment Report (SOER), which is prepared every five years and is due to be tabled in Parliament this year.

Here is the full list of the priorities (not in any order of priority) identified for inclusion in the SOER:

• Pressures of poorly planned development – traffic, Biodiversity Park, more sealed surfaces, storm water issues, loss of trees
• Sea level rise leads to risks of flooding and eco-engineering responses (Eg living shorelines)
• Preservation and improvement of biodiversity
• Protection of marine life, birds, mammals (ie Rakali), lizards
• Protection of coastal reserves/public beaches, access to the Port River
• Development along Port River results in humanity not being able to see the River anymore. Without connection it becomes ‘out of sight, out of mind’
• Impacts of Submarine base at Osborne
• Air monitoring

Here’s a  summary of the workshop: State of OUR environment Report – PA Environment Forum workshop – April 2023

On June 15th, a Forum entitled Ideas for the Future was organised by the Estuary Care Foundation with Catherine McMahon making a presentation about the Foundation’s draft final vision statement and then facilitating a workshop.

Catherine’s presentation of Ideas for the Future – ECF presentation to Port Adelaide Envt Forum – 15 June 2023 highlighted that:

The ECF’s vision for the Port River and Barker Inlet ecosystem is a planned future that prioritises a healthy estuary and a safe community and generates a strong sense of social pride rooted in reconciliation and connection.

In her presentation Catherine shared three examples of large scale restoration projects, in UK, Australia and USA, that could inform a proposed long term Restoration Plan for the Port River and Barker Inlet Estuary.

Here’s a summary of the workshop: Summary of June 2023 PA Environment Forum – Port River_Ideas for Future

Participants said that what they want to See in the Estuary’s future is

• Healthy Estuary
• Living Environment – natural, birds
• Access for the Community e.g. walks, mental health
• Dolphin Safety
• Reduced Pollution