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25.01.2022 The CEPG has been asking the City Of Charles Sturt to build separate bicycle and pedestrian paths as part of the Grange - Semaphore Coast Park project for many years. The danger of shared use paths is well documented, and is now being recognised as part of the upgrade along Linear Park. "Linear Park was established 30 years ago, when the idea of a shared use path was new... But the success of a piece of infrastructure designed 30 years ago... does not mean that this is the right design for the present. Much less the next 30 years." The City Of Charles Sturt needs to heed best practice for new pathways, particularly in the fragile environment proposed.

24.01.2022 It is not surprising to members of the CEPG that there was an apparent failure of the City Of Charles Sturt to consult with the community over the new parking meters at Henley Beach... Since the current council was elected, we have found they have consistently failed to engage the community in genuine or meaningful consultation.

24.01.2022 Question for you all.... Please keep the debate civil... I have my own personal opinion but I am here to represent you, what are your thoughts on the Henley paid parking?

24.01.2022 To find out more about the decision in CEPG & Ors v City Of Charles Sturt - or to read Justice Blues judgment in its entirety - please visit our website: http://cepg.org.au/

24.01.2022 The Coastal Ecology Protection Group which comprises members who are passionate about, and lobby on behalf of coastlines last week saw another significant win in the Supreme Court. On Thursday, Justice Malcolm Blue ordered the City Of Charles Sturt to pay an extraordinarily high percentage to the group an amount that will likely total 90 per cent of our legal costs. This is a strong reflection of our previous win in court and a true testament to our work in protecting t...he fragile Tennyson Dunes, which are facing destruction by the council and the SA Labor Government. The City Of Charles Sturts performance in handling this issue, especially during community consultation, has been extremely poor. The amount of ratepayers money that has been wasted on this issue is disgraceful, especially when a solution previously agreed and voted upon by the community including cycling and walking groups, herpetologists, environmentalists and residents already existed. It is time Mayor Angela Evans, deputy mayor and elected members within the City of Charles Sturt finally realise the current plans for the Coast Park are unlawful and detrimental to the environment, and that their poor decision-making has led to a significant waste of ratepayers money. Someone has to take responsibility for this utterly poor planning, and we suggest Mayor Angela Evans and all her councillors who voted for this unlawful path finally do so.

23.01.2022 Yet another example of the City Of Charles Sturt raising money without first consulting with the community... http://www.adelaidenow.com.au//a936c4c9113cbda9be4b197591c

22.01.2022 If anyone spots this poor bottlenose dolphin calf on their walk, please notify the AMWRRO immediately - details below.

21.01.2022 Stephen Mullighan MP what kind of path do you support between Grange and Sempahore Park? We ask because you previously supported the CEPGs own vision for a low impact pathway that was sensitive to the coastal environment, and you wrote to council and your constituents on more than one occasion expressing your support for this vision that we shared. We met with you on several occasions, and you again expressed your support for our request that the path be built in a manner ...that respected the environment. Your backflip now refers to the CEPG as selfish residents which you are well aware is not the case, particularly as we have discussed with you face to face that the pathway should be aligned out of the dune system. Now all comments on your Facebook page are being reviewed so that only comments supporting the Coast Park will be published. We also support the Coast Park, and always have. This video is, quite simply, duplicitous and deceptive. So, Stephen Mullighan MP, we would ask you to be more specific. What kind of pathway do you now support? Messenger West The Advertiser Steven Rypp - Liberal for Lee Mark Parnell MLC David Speirs MP

20.01.2022 Yet again, the City Of Charles Sturt failing to consult with the community... This has to stop.

20.01.2022 For people wondering who CEPG are, we are a group of coastal and near coastal residents and friends who care about the coast and dunes along the section of Adelaide metropolitan coastline between Grange and Semaphore Park. We work through education, research and advocacy. Over the last 25 years, some of the achievements that the CEPG has accomplished include:... - Facilitation and funding of permanent environmental informational signage at all beach access paths in the City Of Charles Sturt area; - Building of Tennyson Dunes viewing platform and educational signage with other dune care groups and Kiwanis; - Creation of the first local native coastal plants brochure now re-printed many times; - Lobbying for retaining beach bins; - Environmental walk and talk tours; - Neighbour to neighbour native plant and animal education resulting in large scale weed removal and native plantings; - Backyard native plant nurseries; - Monitoring, recording and reporting local coastal flora, fauna and processes; - Regular community forums with environmental expert speakers; - Researching, evaluating and communicating the latest data on this unique environment; - Community capacity building; For many years there has been discussion about a broad, hard topped, shared cycle and walking path along this coastal section. While most of us understand that the land is not ours and shared bike paths may be popular with some people, the damage to the very fragile coastline, flora and fauna is something that concerns us greatly. CEPG Inc was incorporated in 2001, after some years operating as a less formal organization. We have about 200 members.

19.01.2022 Any suggestion that the Coastal Ecology Protection Groups court action is a bid to stop the Coast Park bike path through the Tennyson Dunes region at any cost is misleading. Both the City of Charles Sturt and the Member for Lee, Stephen Mullighan, are well aware of this. Mr Mullighan has repeatedly written to the council in support of the CEPGs ongoing request for a narrower and less impactful path constructed of natural material that encourages all users to enjoy the co...ast and environment. In fact, Mr Mullighan moved in November to warn the City of Charles Sturt that Councils inflexibility on the width of the path is risking further delaying the delivery of the long-overdue completion of the Coast Path, by unnecessarily agitating residents into trying to prevent the project proceeding. In that letter, Mr Mullighan said: I trust that Council will reconsider its approach and I look forward to seeing a suitable approach that enables the project to be completed without further delay. CEPG members engaged respected coastal ecologist Vic Semeniuk to conduct an extensive ecological report on the dune system, vegetation and its ecological significance to best inform the most suitable outcome for a path through the Tennyson region. That report made a recommendation for a narrower path made of natural materials and for its alignment to be out of the dune system. The members of the CEPG will support any solution that protects the dunes and the flora and fauna for future generations.

19.01.2022 The City Of Charles Sturts plans for the Coast Park Path have been delayed and disrupted due to the action brought by a cooperative effort involving many dune protection groups and individuals, and the action ultimately being fought through the officers of the CEPG. http://www.charlessturt.sa.gov.au/page.aspx?u=872 The actions taken by the CEPG have been instrumental in preventing construction. We believe our case in the Supreme Court was strong and compelling and while we... have expectations of success we are fully aware that the Council and the State Government will more than likely take the case to appeal - however with your help the CEPG and members are committed to continuing our fight to the appeal stage and beyond. We have no intention of letting this project proceed as proposed with the wanton destruction and erosion it will impose on our coast. To ensure we can continue to adequately fund our action, and with the expectation we will have to prepare for the Councils appeal process we are again asking for you help and support and donations. For more specific information and our bank account details please call Sarah on 0416 011 276. http://cepg.org.au/

18.01.2022 The latest in government "behind doors" deals......visit www.cepg.org.au for the truth.

16.01.2022 The City Of Charles Sturt has mismanaged our coastline, and with their budget for fixing the Coast Park pathway disaster at West Beach blown out they have introduced new ways of raising funds... http://www.adelaidenow.com.au//522edc6155534760dd446165089 A petition against the new Henley Beach parking meters already has 5,846 signatures and can be found here:... https://www.change.org/p/charles-sturt-city-counci//share

14.01.2022 The Coast Protection Board is underfunded, and our beaches are rapidly disappearing, yet the City Of Charles Sturt still wants to destabilise the sand dunes - natures best protection against erosion - between Grange and Semaphore Park to build a dangerous, outdated shared use path. This infrastructure will cause environmental damage to this fragile region, and will likely result in a wet beach (no dry sand at high tide) along its route.

14.01.2022 Whether or not they keep their new paid parking meters at Henley Beach, the City Of Charles Sturt have proved themselves to be a truly non-consultative council.

12.01.2022 We are saddened to hear that the Department of Environments consultation with the dedicated group of volunteers who work in the Tennyson Dunes Conservation Reserve - Friends of the Tennyson Dunes - has been nothing but lip service. Their destructive plan out for tender has ignored many of the groups ecological requests. The Department has not done an Environmental Impact Statement on the development and plans to construct the pathway at the most ecologically damaging time of year...

12.01.2022 We commend the Friends of the Tennyson Dunes (Tennyson Dunes Group) for publicly expressing their disapproval of the environmentally destructive Coast Park pathway through the Tennyson Dunes Conservation Reserve that will be constructed of concrete and modular boardwalk, and - according to our calculations - in some places will be 23.3m wide. We are disappointed their comments were released the same day at the Department for the Environment put these detailed and destructive plans out for tender without conducting an independent Environmental Impact Statement in this protected area.

10.01.2022 If you want to know the truth behind Mullighan and the Coast Park Path, visit www.cepg.org.au

10.01.2022 On the 3rd March Stephen Mullighan issued his latest video regarding the Coast Park Path. Yet again he is playing politics and trying to be all things to all people. For the truth behind Mullighans comments and his original stance on the Coast Park Path visit www.cepg.org.au We invite you to make your own minds up on Stephen Mullighans "backflip" as originally called out by the Messenger on the 26th April 2017, after watching the video and reading his letters to residents,...Continue reading

09.01.2022 It comes as no surprise to members of the CEPG that residents are becoming increasingly angered by the actions of the City Of Charles Sturt...

09.01.2022 Why has the Coast Park project from Tennyson to Sempahore Park been changed from a Major Project to a Reinventing Our Reserves project on the City Of Charles Sturt website? How come the budget for this has changed from $3.5m to $1.25m without explanation or notice? How come under FAQs the councils contribution to the project is still listed at $3.25m? What is the real budget allocated towards this project City Of Charles Sturt? http://www.charlessturt.sa.gov.au/ReinventingOurReserves

09.01.2022 http://www.adelaidenow.com.au//f4872ea1bba668cdce8c338fd04

08.01.2022 The Coastal Ecology Protection Group - whose members are committed to coastal protection and come from all over Australia - have spent a significant sum on this legal action to protect the dune system between Grange and Semaphore Park. We had a decisive win in the Supreme Court, and expect to be awarded costs. Reports suggest the City Of Charles Sturts own legal costs are expected to be around $340,000. In cases such as these, the plaintiffs costs can be up to double that ...of the defendants. Therefore in this case, the Councils lack of consideration of the environment in planning this path plus their deliberate and calculated lack of consultation with the community could cost Charles Sturt ratepayers approximately $1m. That figure doesnt include the Councils investment of time and money into progressing their unlawful pathway which they estimate to be $400,000. All ratepayers, including those living on the beachfront as well as members of the CEPG, stand to be impacted by the costs associated with Councils reckless mismanagement of this issue, and it is important to note that Councils plans for a Coast Park from Grange to Semaphore Park would not provide any more access to the beach for the community than currently exists. Any costs returned to the CEPG from Council as a result of this landmark and decisive win would only partially reimburse our members for their out of pocket expenses. We believe the costs involved with this action have been worth it. We fought to protect this environment for all South Australians, and are prepared to do so again. We would encourage the Council to revisit options for the pathway previously approved by the community, namely an option for a narrower, lower impact pathway made from natural materials that would minimise damage to the fragile dune environment. This is what the CEPG has long fought for, what members of the community previously agreed upon, and has been supported by State Government Ministers.

08.01.2022 Parking at Henley Beach, the Coast Park... now speed limits within the City Of Charles Sturt. On the 25 September the Council yet again managed to ignore input from the community with regards to changing speed limits within the council area to 40kph. We commend the members of the community for having their say on this issue, despite it not being heard. We understand what it is like to go to the trouble of making a submission or deputation to this council and for it to not be... acknowledged. In Justice Blues judgment on CEPG & Ors v The City Of Charles Sturt he makes the comment that: "When a decision-maker is required to have regard to a matter, it is necessary that the decision-maker give genuine open-minded consideration to the matter and undertake an active intellectual process in considering its impact on the question to be decided... ... in relation to important and potentially contentious decisions, in order for the council as a collegiate body to have regard to a matter, it will often be insufficient for individual councillors to give purely private consideration to the matter. In those cases it will often be necessary for shared consideration to be given so that the councillors are acting on the basis of common information and knowledge. In relation to important and potentially contentious decisions, it will often be necessary for there to be discussion and for the members to have the advantage of the exchange of views." We hope that as a result of our case collective decision making as part of the City Of Charles Sturt process is improved. We hope that in the future submissions and deputations from the community are listened to, debated, acknowledged and help to inform Council decisions.

08.01.2022 Councillor Robert Randalls comment "The solution of a pedestrian access along a dirt path in front of houses and cyclists deviated to Seaview Road or down to Military Road was rejected by residents" in this recent Messenger West story is not correct... First of all there was never at any time in any proposal for a Coast Park from Grange to Sempahore Park the mention of a dirt path in front of houses. Secondly Page 2 of the City Of Charles Sturt Councils own Consultation R...eport prepared by a Council employee and accepted and unanimously endorsed at the Council Meeting of 23 Feb 2015 (at which Councillor Randall attended and voted) is below. A low impact path along the foreshore with bikes on Seaview Road was endorsed by the Councils own consultation group the Coast Park Project Reference Group. This group was made up of a varied assortment of interested parties from two bike lobbies to some residents and environmentalists. That same Option, Option 1, received the most votes and the highest rating when posted to and voted on by the entire project catchment area (which went well beyond foreshore residents). How, or more importantly, why can Councillor Randall say it was rejected? We would suggest Councillor Randalls instrumental role in recklessly progressing this unlawful pathway and potentially wasting the City Of Charles Sturt over $1m of ratepayers funds combined with his ability to consistently get the facts wrong should be reason alone for ratepayers to question his suitability for the job and ask for his resignation.

05.01.2022 The findings of Justice Blue in CEPG & Ors v City Of Charles Sturt include: In making the path decisions, the Council failed to have regard to a mandatory consideration, namely environmental considerations, and the path decisions are consequentially unlawful; The Council failed to comply with its consultation policy in respect of the path decisions and they are consequently unlawful;... The Councils path decisions are contrary to the Councils management plan and are unlawful; The Council acted in breach of its consultation policy in adopting the management plan, and consequently the management plan is unlawful and the path decisions are consequently unlawful; The Councils management plan fails to state performance targets or performance measures and is consequently invalid and the path decisions are consequently invalid.

05.01.2022 We note that several letters to the editor of The Advertiser have been published on the result of CEPG & Ors v City Of Charles Sturt, however none of the letters our members or supporters have submitted were published - including the letter below. Wed like to take the opportunity to share several of them here: To the editor, I was disheartened to read that so many misconceptions about the Coastal Ecology Groups hard fought win in the Supreme Court had reached the editorial ...pages of The Advertiser. I, perhaps optimistically, would have expected more consideration for the facts of the issue and the case from this paper. Firstly, it wasnt a group of residents who fought this issue in the courts, it was an environmental group the Coastal Ecology Protection Group. The group has members from all over the state. You dont have to live at the beach to love the beach. As spokesperson for the CEPG, I do indeed live in the suburb of Tennyson, as I love the beach and living in proximity to it. I rent a home there. I think it is worth mentioning it is not on the foreshore. Secondly, I dont believe the victory could be correctly called baffling, unless one does not understand the issues to hand, or has not read and digested Justice Blues judgment on the matter. At 172 pages long, it goes into great detail about why the CEPG was victorious. Of special interest was councils failure to consider environmental concerns in their plans, councils unreliable evidence in the case, councils interest and unconscious influence on internally managing the issue, councils failure to validly consult the community on their proposed alignment, and the fact that the council deliberately limited the communitys opportunity to have their say on a change of community land use. There is also a detailed and valid argument from Justice Blue that such a longitudinal path does not provide any further access to the beach than already exists. He also valiantly claims that placing any north-south path through this specific stretch of fragile dune could not be successfully weighed against the specific environmental concerns of the area. Thirdly, the media have never reported that the CEPG has continuously campaigned for a lower impact path, made of natural materials, located closer to the homes along the foreshore despite us making our wishes clear time and time again. The significance of this case is tremendous. It is a landmark case that will change the way councils must consult with the community across the State. However, it seems it is much more sensational or easy - journalism to yet again pitch this as a story about self-interested residents. This angle could not be further from the truth. I invite the editor of The Advertiser to catch up for a coffee and discuss the case, or at least take time to view the facts of this momentous judgment. I think he would find them of immense value not only to himself, but also his readers. Sincerely, Monique Webber

04.01.2022 It comes as no surprise to the CEPG that the City Of Charles Sturt has lost more green space than any other council in the state. It does come as *some* surprise however that Councillor Robert Randall claims to support tougher rules on removing trees when he strongly supported removing hundred of significant native plants for the construction of the councils unlawful proposed Coast Park pathway. How can Councillors continue to act so dishonestly and duplicitously?

04.01.2022 Reckless council spending and a culture of reckless inefficiency indeed. The City Of Charles Sturt cannot afford to fix the broken Coast Park pathway at West Beach. They are trying to raise funds by installing parking meters and selling land without consulting the community. And yet they want to spend further millions on building another environmentally damaging Coast Park pathway from Grange to Semaphore that they do not have the funds to repair or maintain, and that th...e community has rejected. We, and the broader community, have consistently asked for a more low impact, narrower path that is more sensitive to this fragile coastal environment. http://www.adelaidenow.com.au//1202860f7d6cabc69f71a8e35b6

02.01.2022 The CEPG have vowed to fight Labor Lee candidate Stephen Mullighan MP to the bitter end on the beaches issue in the final countdown to D-Day in the State Election. CEPG has again called out the Lee MP for back flipping on the Coast Park Path, which would run through the Tennyson Dunes, destroying the already fragile nature space. Mullighan reignited the battle at Tennyson earlier this month by posting a video to his Facebook page, advising followers that a vote for Labor is ...a vote for this path. The candidate also suggested that the paths construction is being road blocked by a small handful of residents who are trying to keep the public away from the beaches they have been enjoying privately. CEPG spokeswoman Monique Webber said both these statements were entirely false and that building the proposed path would destroy the Tennyson Dunes and ultimately the beaches which the CEPG has fought to protect for future generations to enjoy. She said previous correspondence with Mullighan proves he was supportive of a lower impact path that was more environmentally friendly the very thing the group proposed and the Supreme Court agreed would be most suitable to the area. This candidate previously supported a path, but it was the low impact, environmentally sensitive path that we have been lobbying Charles Sturt Council and the State Government to build, Ms Webber said. Now, Mullighan is trying to vilify residents and say that this would improve and increase access to the beach, but that is totally incorrect. The path would not increase access to the beach at all. We at CEPG think Mullighan is very worried that he will lose his seat, as demonstrated by the fact that he has done a deal with Labors equivalent of the devil (the Australian Conservatives) to receive their second preferences in Lee. The proposed Coast Park Path would begin at Grange and end in Semaphore Park that would run through and subsequently damage the fragile Tennyson Dunes. Mullighan has promised if the Labor Government is re-elected at the weekend, he will match Charles Sturt Councils financial contribution to the path. CEPG has also called out Mullighan for censoring comments on his Facebook page over the issue. Mullighans team has been deleting Facebook comments and blocking people from commenting if they are not supportive of his position, which equates to him censoring and misrepresenting the issues important to the electorate, Ms Webber said. For more information on the issue, visit www.cepg.org.au Photo credit: News Corp. The Advertiser Messenger West

02.01.2022 The CEPG is pleased to announce we have had a busy day in court, with a heartening win against the City Of Charles Sturt in our fight to protect the dunes between Grange and Semaphore Park. We were confident that common sense would ultimately prevail and we see that it has. We hope this means we have saved the dunes and also hope it sets a benchmark for future planning and community consultation by the City of Charles Sturt Council, and other councils across the state. Char...les Sturt Council has already spent a significant amount of ratepayers money defending their unlawful actions and decision making and now are faced with the potential to pay a larger sum in costs following this case. The CEPG believes the decision shows there is strong support of the groups wishes for considered development, supported by science and in consultation with the community, which understands the delicate nature of the dunes and has long nurtured the unique system.

02.01.2022 We commend our friends, the Friends of the Tennyson Dunes, for insisting that the destructive plans for a pathway through the Tennyson Dunes Conservation Reserve be withdrawn from tender. We hope Minsters Ian Hunter and Stephen Mullighan MP are true to their word and continue to support plans for a low impact pathway through this fragile and protected environment.

01.01.2022 It is extremely disappointing to read that the Kaurna elders consulted on this stretch of Coast Park have been misled and ignored by the City of Holdfast Bay, much like our friends the Friends of the Tennyson Dunes have been ignored and misled during their consultation with the Department of Environment during consultation on the Coast Park through the Tennyson Dunes Conservation Reserve. The CEPG was also ignored and misled during consultation on the Coast Park from Grange-Semaphore Park by the City Of Charles Sturt. This council was found to have deliberately limited opportunities for the community to have their say on this issue to minimise opposition to their plans. http://www.adelaidenow.com.au//7f9440a8b7c9f99257e725cc50f