Port Adelaide Enfield mayor Gary Johanson says Semaphore Beach will remain a ‘working class beach’
ONE of Adelaide’s most popular beaches will remain a “working class beach”, where paid parking and elite enclaves would not be welcome, according to its mayor.
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SEMAPHORE Beach is a “working class beach” where paid parking and elite enclaves would not be welcome, according to Port Adelaide Enfield mayor Gary Johanson.
Following controversy over neighbouring council Charles Sturt’s move to install paid parking at Henley Beach and a local business association’s idea to create a French Riviera-style paid beach club at the same locale, Mr Johanson was steadfast in his opposition to the ideas. When contacted yesterday he said Port Adelaide Enfield Council would not install parking meters at Semaphore or any of the beaches within its district.
“We have no plans to do it now or in the future — it has never been discussed at council at all,” Mr Johanson said.
Likewise he did not think a VIP stretch of beach with catered and licensed lounge chairs would work at Semaphore as he believes the beach should be all- accessible to those who want to use it.
“I think Semaphore is very much a working class beach,” he said. “It follows on from the Port itself, which is a working class area, and since the new Expressway went in many of the people who use our beach are from places like Elizabeth and Salisbury.
“That (a VIP area) is something that wouldn’t fit with the sort of people we have here. It would work in other councils. We are a different mix and we do things a bit differently.”
He added that he would not support the service of alcohol on the foreshore as it is a dry zone.
Paid parking was installed at Henley Beach this month, sparking outrage among beachgoers and traders prompting nearly 8000 people to sign an online petition calling for the fees to be scrapped.
The meters have since been vandalised in protest.
This week a bid by Henley Ward councillor Jassmine Wood to allow two free hours of parking was quashed by Charles Sturt mayor Angela Evans — who voted against the measure after the vote was tied at Monday night’s council meeting. It was then revealed the Henley Beach Business Association is working on a proposal to establish a French Riviera-style area with catered sun lounges for hire to be established at the popular strip this summer.
That proposal — which has attracted an angry response from some local businesses — is yet to go before Charles Sturt Council.