10 July 2025 – Narungga update

All-hours ambo crew finally for YP:

It was pledged as an election commitment back in February 2022, and the wait for fruition is now over: -- the tender for the upgrade of the Wallaroo SAAS Ambulance Station has been awarded and works have commenced!

Coupled with this fantastic news last week was the investment in a new community paramedic for Yorke Peninsula as well as a new 24/7 emergency paramedic crew based in Wallaroo, the latter to soon arrive and be initially based in Moonta (from 14 July) before making the move to the Wallaroo Ambulance Station later this year once the station upgrade is complete.

The above investment will mean for the first time, SAAS career paramedics will be based on the Yorke Peninsula 24 hours of every day, which will make an enormous difference in easing the burden on our local volunteer ambos.

Other good health news last week was the Yorke and Northern Local Health Network’s inclusion in the roll out of more regional interns undertaking GP and rural generalist training under a new employer model specifically for regional SA involving SA Health and private employers. This is exciting progress, which is designed to address one of our biggest health workforce issues in regional and remote areas – recruiting and retaining doctors.

Common sense finally prevails – a new rescue vessel for Pt Turton is on its way:

After advocating since 2018 for a replacement vessel for the Royal Volunteer Coastal Patrol in Point Turton, finally funding has been secured to the tune of $555,000 which will provide sufficient funds for a new fit for purpose, properly equipped 2C surveyed rescue vessel and also a new tow vehicle plus alterations to the crew’s storage facility to house the new vessel.

What an outcome! Well done to the RVCP volunteers for your patience, and for operating for so long hamstrung with an aged boat only surveyed for service within two nautical miles from shore!

Re-sheeting Edithburgh to Yorketown:

We also recently received good news in response to the push from Mr Rick Hutchinson and the Edithburgh community for improvements to sections of the St Vincent Highway between Edithburgh and Yorketown, with the Department for Infrastructure and Transport pledging shoulder re-sheeting works scheduled for the 2025-26 financial year.

Parliament Winter break:

Whilst Parliament is now in a winter recess, the two sitting weeks prior were valuable opportunities for me to raise topics requiring government attention and investment.

They included the unsafe Marion Bay boat ramp, illegal tobacco laws, the North Adelaide Golf Course Bill, the Algal Bloom impact, and my Budget response.

Additional actions have also included calling for further commercial fishermen fee relief; funding support to help businesses comply with new mandatory installation of AE Defibrillators; and safety improvements to the Thrington and Mines Road intersection near North Yelta.

Of the former, I was pleased to successfully pass a motion in Parliament on 18 June calling for further action on the Algae Bloom prevalence and commended the Government on its pledge of 9 July to continue to work with operators as they navigate recovery from the devastating impacts of this natural event.

However, I believe more must be done and I have called on the government to also include in any underway engagement, further discussion on how the existing flawed full cost recovery model can be permanently restructured because currently, the licence and audit fees they face are unjust and unsustainable. 

Regarding the new regulations that mandate the installation of AE Defibrillators in publicly accessible spaces, buildings, facilities and vehicles: under the Automated External Defibrillators (Public Access) Act 2022, facilities such as caravan parks, pubs and shop fronts etcetera, dependent on size and type, can be deemed as requiring an AED and their purchase and installation can cost up to $2,500.

Such businesses are deserving of a similar Grants program to the SA Automated External Defibrillator (AED) Grants Program that was offered to local clubs and community groups.

Grants Open:

We have had two major successes in grants programs in June - $148,000 for Kadina Hockey Club to install lighting towers and $400,000 for the YP Field Days function centre project (stage 1 of which I was pleased to officially open last week). Congratulations to these deserving recipients!

There are several grant programs currently open, among them the Digital Donation Program, Experience Nature Tourism Fund, Social Impact One, Powering Business Grants, The Power of Her (Sport and Rec) and the SA Car Club Program.

For more information on these programs, visit the 'Grants' section of this website.