Saving Henley Dunes

Meanwhile WACRA members sought an update on the proposed legislative changes to permanently restrict the use of jet skis in the exclusion zone between the River Torrens at Henley to Grange Road, noted in the Aquatic Activity Licence issued by Charles Sturt Council. By September 2016, the SA Minister for Transport, Stephen Mullighan, had prepared a set of variation regulations for cabinet consideration. It went through. The formal document is noted under Harbors and Navigation (Restricted Area Henley Beach) Variation Regulations 2016 (no. 241 of 2014 published in the Gazette 13.10.2016, page 4009). The Weekly Times Messenger reported (26 October 2016): ‘Jet-ski ban finally sticks. State Government steps in to end yearly debate over zones’.

It took 16 years of constant WACRA activity to reach a satisfactory outcome. The community may now feel safer in the water – at least between 1 December and 31 March.

Saving Henley Dunes

Bernadette Cranwell and Lisa Redman

We are local residents who live on the seafront. We were talking over the fence one day about the damage caused by the latest storm to hit our beach. We shared a concern about sand loss which had swept over Esplanade roads. Storms cause sand to move from south to north, carrying precious beach sand. Our dunes were being denuded. Other people in our neighbourhood had similar concerns. ‘What can we do?’, was the question asked by this local community.

We learned that our local council, the City of Charles Sturt, had sand replenishment and vegetation management plans in place for West Beach and Henley South. This included the area surrounding the Torrens Outlet where sand mining and erosion had been a longstanding problem. Saving the dunes at Henley Beach was another problem. We heard that the council had commissioned a report to explore ways to save Henley Dunes. When we approached council about the report, we heard that a decision had already been made; fences were to be built on existing sand dunes, parallel to the Esplanade, at a cost of $75,000.

Reading the commissioned report, we realised that other options to save the sand had not been considered. We discussed this report with Jim Douglas, president of WACRA at that time, and were advised by him. We carried out further research and discovered that there were other ways to reduce sand loss. Based on our research, we wrote a report supplying evidence that vegetating the dunes was a better and cheaper way to manage sand and protect Henley Dunes.

In the presence of WACRA members, we made a deputation to the full council in February 2018. There was a lot of dissent. One councillor argued that our plan would be a good thing because involving the community was considered to be a positive and the fact that we were volunteers was an extra bonus. This argument worked in our interest. Eventually, council approved our revegetation plan, subject to applying and gaining a grant for $5,000, an amount we had asked for originally to set up a working group. No doubt saving a large sum of money helped councillors to make this favourable decision.

After months of negotiation, we were granted $2,500. It was agreed that native plants would be supplied by the council. We were offered the council’s gardening equipment. However, funding to buy additional tools was needed so we continued to explore sources for other grants.

Our strengths were organisational management, our experience in marketing, organising occupational health and safety requirements, communicating to our volunteers, and other administrative aspects of setting up a viable working group. We made use of our extensive networks, consulting and involving many other community groups.

Our research into other environmental groups brought us in touch with philosophies that were consistent with our values and strategies for energising group activity. Landcare had a good model to follow, stating its objective as a movement that is about ‘people wanting to make a difference’ in caring for their local environment. Similarly, we consulted the Natural Resources Management (NRM) Board and realised we shared their aims in promoting community engagement and education. Clean Up Australia focused on community engagement, in this case to clean up the environment. Started in the early 1980s, Greening Australia was another organisation claiming to have established four million native plants. We decided against becoming an incorporated not-for-profit association. Instead, WACRA was supportive and offered to manage the official finance side of this endeavour. At this stage we should confess that we knew very little about coastal native plants. We have been on a steep learning curve. People from the Tennyson Dunes Group have contributed their vast experience on coastal planting.

(L to R) Bernadette Cranwell, Lisa Redman and Kenzie van den Nieuwelaar promote Henley Dunes Care Group at Tennyson Dunes Open Day 2018

This is a new age for setting up groups. We used social media extensively, with the essential Henley Dunes Care Group website (www.henleydunes.org) and Facebook site. We consulted with local politicians. On 24 June 2018, we organised a trial public walk around the site to be planted. At this first orientation walk of the beach there were about 20-25 people including the mayor and our local MP. The launch of the Henley Dunes vegetation project was 1 July 2018. Again, the group was large; about 40 keen supporters turned up in the middle of winter. We assured this group that working in the dunes was covered by insurance. In time, we had completed all the formal aspects of setting up.

Over 1,000 native coastal plants are now growing in the Henley Dunes. Shortcuts or ‘goat tracks’ were evident in the dunes and it was argued by those wanting fences that people would continue to walk through the dunes regardless. Our plants would not have a chance. We pointed out that four points of access to the beach had not been maintained. Once these repairs took place, people started to use designated paths, avoiding trampling through the dunes. Nevertheless, we protected plants with guards and temporary fencing. Also, we made signage ‘Keep off the Dunes’. Council printed and installed the signs. We have a contact at council, a staff member who has been very helpful.

In the last year, walking alongside council staff and councillors shaped the evaluation. A high percentage of our plants have survived. In February 2019, about 70 percent of our plants were still alive, whereas our research evidence cites a usual 30 percent success rate. We have not yet filled those goat paths completely with plants although we aim to do so in the near future. Hopefully it will silence our critics.

We involve other groups in the community. Linking with other environmental groups we held an Australia Day Clean Up. We have since tapped into another local clean-up group: Our Coast, Our Mission. We have already held one clean-up day with this group and there are plans for more working bees together. Facebook friends are told about a gathering on a particular day and then we wait to see who turns up. Fortunately, we have about 8-10 regular volunteers who help guide and assist newcomers. We have noticed people come and go. Local schools often send the students of an entire classroom to help plant and learn about our dune environment. Local high school students occasionally help with watering the plants.

Other than social media, we do not really need to promote the working bees. It is a pleasure to see so many people on those days. Landcare program volunteers merge with our Henley Dunes Care Group regulars, sharing the work we do in the sand dunes. In addition, Landcare group members often share their knowledge and resources. WACRA members tend to be regulars at working bees. The Greens political party are keen to forge a link, and we have done so, but we want to stay apolitical. We share the values for caring about our environment. That keeps us working together. Recently a man from Brazil connected with our group. He was just settling into Adelaide as a newcomer and sought like-minded environmentally conscious people and community activity. French tourists were here for one of our working bees and loved being so close to the sea and doing something useful. Yes, we are building community here. Media coverage has been generous. We are linked to so many other groups. In June 2019, the plants are thriving and look wonderful.