Being part of the community

Being part of the WACRA community is fantastic. To be part of its diverse community activist programs is exciting but also very meaningful at a personal level. I feel connected to our community through WACRA.

Professional photographer Fernando Gonçalves in action

Being part of the community

Alan Goldsmith

My partner and I joined the local residents’ association around the same time as the Save Our Beaches protest began, as we were alarmed by the news that a rock groyne was to be built out to sea at West Beach. We had been shocked and dismayed by the new development that had been built at the bottom of Anzac Highway, blocking the glorious view of the sea that had previously been enjoyed by the thousands driving towards Glenelg each day. So in 1997 we attended several public meetings at the Henley Town Hall and were impressed by the passion and intelligence of the speakers. In an audience of about 500 people we learned more about the ecological damage a stone wall construction could trigger on our shores. It struck us that the Henley and Grange Residents’ Association was well able to mobilise a community protest. We were among 400 others who signed up to Save Our Beaches/No Boat Harbour and we were rostered to maintain a vigil around the clock at the Barcoo Outlet site. While it was difficult as we were both working, we tried to help whenever we could. It went on for months. An amazing tree phone system was set up for contacting each member using landlines. At that time the use of mobile phones was limited.

All generations took part in the protest, including children who came with their parents before and after school. In 1998 a blockade was organised. All else had failed. This part of

the protest was a spectacle shared by Australians around the country. They could see our physical protest on the evening TV news, rows of people locking arms, with some of us lying in front of trucks as they were attempting to enter the construction site. I remember being dragged away by the police. I always felt a bit sorry for the police having to do this. However, we did not stop the boat harbour being built.

Locking arms in protest possibly enhanced friendships back then. And we have been members of the Henley and Grange Residents’ Association (now WACRA) ever since. Connecting with other like-minded people is a key part of our community life in Henley Beach.

Jim Douglas became the Henley and Grange Residents’ Association president after this major event in 1998. He is a powerhouse – determined but always showing compassion and empathy. He has a strong sense of social justice but welcomes a diversity of views. Not all of our protest activities result in the outcomes wanted and that is always disappointing. It is all very well to say ‘We told you so’ when you see what has happened to West Beach and its sand erosion, but that does not help really. Learning to move on is part of the challenge of being an activist – it is important to be robust. We also have to be mindful of our friends, especially when we lose.

What constitutes the community activist agenda is decided democratically at WACRA committee meetings. Each issue deserves its own strategy and action plan, and we are constantly monitoring new development plans from the council. Indeed, some of our members attend local council meetings specifically to receive first-hand news of developments that may cause concern. One such alert in 2011 was the high-rise building construction of the Baju and H20 developments near Henley Square, and this construction has remained high on WACRA’s agenda for many years. We held a community forum at Henley Town Hall to discuss the original building proposal and, once again, the Henley Town Hall was overflowing with residents very concerned by the possible impact. And again, we were unsuccessful in stopping the development. These ‘big guy’ developers are just too powerful.

We have numerous ways to keep in touch with community activity. Nowadays it is much easier with Facebook and WACRA’s website (wacra.org.au) but previously the free Weekly Times Messenger played a huge role, as it was thrown into our backyard every week.

WACRA has been involved in many community projects over the years, from helping produce mosaics along the path between Henley and Grange through to having curry nights with guest speakers like Professor Chris Daniels and Colin Pitman, the genius behind the Salisbury wetlands. We also were partly responsible for the brilliant Energy Friends idea which amazingly is still evolving, but WACRA was a trailblazer for South Australia. Just briefly, in 2002 our state government set up an Essential Services Commission of SA (ESCOSA). And later that year, Henley and Grange Residents’ Association (now WACRA) invited its members to take training in home energy efficiency and take our knowledge into the wider community. This was one of our first climate awareness strategies. Becoming energy usage aware was seen as a way to save money, conserve the environment, and contribute to one’s local community. Being engaged and active in our community has been a very important part of our lives.