Federal election 2019: Libs pledge to improve River Torrens and support for new national park

Cleaning up the River Torrens and creating Adelaide’s newest national park have been targeted under a funding pledge from the Liberals.

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Cleaning up the River Torrens and creating Adelaide’s newest national park have been targeted under a funding pledge from the Liberals.

Federal Tourism Minister Simon Birmingham has told The Advertiser a re-elected Morrison Government would invest up to $3.7 million to improve the health of the Torrens and help the State Government establish the new Glenthorne National Park in Adelaide’s southern suburbs.

READ BELOW: Low-paid face ‘$350 penalty’

River funding of $2 million will go toward reconstruction of wetlands, management of pollutants, the removal of invasive weeds and revegetation.

“All of these activities contribute to minimising polluted inflows into Gulf St Vincent, which in turn minimises the loss of sea grass, reduces beach and coastal dune erosion and reduces habitat loss for species such as migratory shorebirds,” Senator Birmingham said.

DRAWCARD: Tourists Mark and Sujana Gurung on the River Torrens yesterday. Picture: Tait Schmaal

The Advertiser revealed this week that complex and convoluted management of the Torrens would be revamped under a proposed governance review aimed at improving the river’s health.

Liberal candidate for Adelaide Shaun Osborn said the funding would “help ensure the Torrens remains an Adelaide icon” for visitors such as Victorian tourists Mark and Sujana Gurung, who were using paddleboats yesterday.

Environment Minister Melissa Price said a further $1.7 million would support the State Government’s Glenthorne National Park initiative, a plan to establish a 1500ha network of reserve land from the Adelaide foothills to the coast.

“Restoring native vegetation in this biodiversity hotspot will create a new wildlife corridor and preserve habitat for threatened species in the region, including the black-chinned honeyeater and native eucalypt species,” Ms Price said.

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SA Environment and Water Minister David Speirs said the Glenthorne initiative was a unique opportunity to simultaneously connect South Australians to nature and restore an urban environment.

“We welcome the Federal Government’s support for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to establish a new national park in Adelaide and create an environmental legacy,” Mr Speirs said.

Low-paid face ‘$350 penalty’

By Matt Smith

Federal Labor has used the Easter break to spruik its vow to restore penalty rates for some of South Australia’s lowest paid workers.

Labor’s federal employment spokesman Brendan O’Connor said low-paid workers in retail, fast food, hospitality and pharmacy who worked every public holiday and Sunday between Good Friday and Anzac Day would be more than $350 worse off because of penalty rate cuts.

“In Boothby alone, up to 11,162 workers in retail and hospitality could be affected by penalty rates — a shocking one in six workers,” he said.

“If elected, in the first 100 days, we will legislate to reverse the cuts to penalty rates, restoring fair pay.

“We will change the laws to make sure they can’t be cut for anyone again.”

A Liberals campaign spokeswoman said it was the independent Fair Work Commission that set penalty rates, not the Government.

“In fact, it was Bill Shorten, as Julia Gillard’s (workplace relations) minister, who set up the review into penalty rates,” she said.

“He even appointed the umpire.”

The Australian Council of Trade Unions will on Saturday campaign in Glenelg against Scott Morrison’s re-election, arguing low-paid workers would be worse off under a Liberal Government.