Beth Reid, 21, of Semaphore is a ranger at Renmark; she’s nursing a joey — a baby kangaroo — and she carries him in a pouch wherever she goes.

Bobby the kangaroo, whose mother died after after dashing across a road and being hit by a car, is helping nurse Beth, who has just had major hip surgery.

“We came along at the same time for each other,” Beth said. “I was a passenger in the car that hit his mother and she had to be put down. Also in the car was one of a group of American students who were staying in Renmark at that time. His name was Bob and he was bitten by the mother kangaroo as she was being put down, so we called the baby Bobby.

“He loves being in this pouch and I love having him with me. I just had hipbone and cartilage surgery and Bobby likes to kiss my nose and snuggle into me and that helps me.

Beth and Bobby make friends wherever they go

“I have always loved wildlife and I rescued my first bird when I was six. Bobby is just learning to hop and sometimes he falls over, but tries again. I’m feeding him on Wombaroo Milk, which is a special formula for wildlife.

“He’s also starting to eat grass, but he likes plain cooked oats the most.”

Thanks to the American students, Bobby now has his own Facebook page — BobbyTequilaHilux.

“When they were in Renmark the students drank tequilas and his mother was hit by a Hilux car.

“Bobby’s got more than a hundred friends on Facebook. He’s been a great comfort to me and he makes me laugh and feel good a lot.

”He sucks on his toes, which sends him to sleep and sometimes sucks his tail.

“Bobby licks my nose and I call it the Kangaroo Kiss; wherever I go people want to touch him and he loves it.”

For its next Swap on Saturday August 21 the Henley Fruit and Veg Swap travels to Semaphore Park.

The front section of the Garden Cottage at Bower Cottages Community Centre at 200 Bower Road has been reserved for the Fruit and Veg Swap with four large tables.

As usual, organically homegrown produce can go on the tables from 10am and you can take what you can use at 10.30 am.

There’s free tea and coffee if you would like to sit a while and chat. If you know someone in this area, please let them know or bring them along. Even if you don’t have or don’t need any produce that weekend, please come along and encourage this brand new Swap.

More Swaps in more suburbs means more fresh, free, healthy food for everyone, as well as fewer food miles; a Swap engenders a great sense of community, and best of all it’s fun.

After this one-off Semaphore Swap, the Henley Swap will continue as usual fortnightly at the markets and in between in private homes through winter, with details posted on the Swap website.

If you’re a grapefruit fan, there should be plenty to share around on Saturday after a small crew of Swappers harvested a local tree this week.

One of Semaphore’s great resident characters, Frankie Pisani, 55, died where he spent most of his life on Semaphore Road.

Every day since the early 1980s Frankie had called in to shops and cafes to say hello and he always spent money wherever he went. 

Wherever I went for coffee on the road Frankie would turn up and we had a lot of laughs together.

Frankie always carried a transistor radio and it was sometimes hard to tell whether it was the radio or his voice and laugh were louder.

On the day of his funeral we bought a bunch of colourful gerberas and went to the Cheltenham cemetery to see Frankie buried with his father and mother.

He had often talked with me about what a great father he had been and one day he would be back with him. I didn’t get the significance of that until I saw the grave.

Several days later at Café Indulge a small group of Frankie’s friends met most of his family for the first time for a celebration of Frankie’s life and we all got on very well.

What everyone liked most about the night was a letter I had been given to me from my and Frankie’s doctor, who was on duty that night and could not be there.

“I have known Frank since 1987 when I took over Spring Life Medical Centre. Due to his medical condition he was a frequent visitor to my surgery, sometimes too frequent.

“He became very attached to me and I realised it only when I told him if he could come less frequently to see me. He became very upset and would stand in front of the surgery and whenever he saw me he show me a finger. Then I realised he was too attached.

“We made a deal. He could come to my surgery as often as he would like and say hello to staff and see me about his own medical problem. He became part of the surgery and would come every day to say hello to staff.

“We had a very good relationship.

“It was sad to know that he passed away.

This life is very unpredictable.

“My staff and I are sadly missing him.”

Dr Raj Sharma

Painting of SS Admella in 1858 by James Shaw (1815-1881) courtesy of Art Gallery of South Australia

A small group gathered last week for a commemoration of the wreck of SS Admella, followed by the first Port Adelaide vigil for the Save Our Gulfs Campaign.
 
Port Chaplain Robin Trebilcock officiated at the commemoration and Ruth Trigg from Water Apps led the vigil.
 
The early hours of August 6 1859 was the beginning of a horrific week for all on board the stricken steamer and the volunteers who struggled to rescue them.
 
Admella was sailing from Port Adelaide to Melbourne with 107 passengers and crew when it struck Carpenter Rocks; within 15 minutes she broke up, leaving passengers and crew clinging to the wreckage in sight of land with no water and very little food.
 
The loss of 89 lives over 8 days and the many failed rescue attempts make the wreck one of the worst maritime disasters in Australia’s history.
 
Many ships were lost on this part of the Australian coast but this wreck stands out as the most tragic. It brought together the newly formed colonies of South Australia and Victoria in a major rescue effort.

The Navigator sculpture by Adelaide sculptor Karen Genoff tells the story of the wreck; she is in the middle of our photograph holding a flag.
 
A short Save Our Gulfs Campaign vigil followed the commemoration.
 
Ruth Trigg spoke of the major environmental damage that desalination plants would do in Spencer Gulf and St Vincent Gulf.
 
She said Government was pressing ahead with construction of the Port Stanvac desalination plant that, according to many scientists, would devastate much of South Australia’s unique marine biodiversity.
 
She urged all South Australians to demand reasons why the desalination plant was being fast-tracked without any real consultation.

A major vigil will be held on Merchant Navy Day in September.

The City of Port Adelaide Enfield plans to install permanent banners along the median strip of Semaphore Road between Causeway Road and The Esplanade.

The city is seeking expressions of interest from suitably qualified artists with experience in engaging the wider community to create 32 individual images to be transferred to 64 metal banner plates mounted on 6-metre poles. 

The banners will reflect the cultural identity of the community and provide a colourful and eye-catching gateway to welcome tourists, visitors and local residents, and celebrate the vibrant Semaphore lifestyle and the foreshore.

The artists’ designs will be scaled up, screen printed and coated with vitreous enamel by Glass Metal Industries.

This will be a public art collection depicting the lifestyle and culture of the Semaphore region which will promote pride of place, attract more people to the city, add colour and style and deter vandalism in the area.

The project starts this month and the banners will be installed by November in time for the Semaphore Street launch.

Expressions of Interest close 20 August and should be submitted to Rachelle Quattrochhi
Arts and Cultural Development Officer
City of Port Adelaide Enfield
P O Box 110, Port Adelaide  5015
Phone: 8405 6848
Mobile: 0404 856 709
Website: www.portenf.sa.gov.au

Final designs must be submitted by 30 September 2010 to allow time for the enamelling process.

Our images of similar banners from RepublicArt

Portobello Food Kitchen and Bar has been named South Australia’s best café.

In its first year of business, Portobello scooped the pool at the annual Awards for Excellence in Restaurants and Catering SA held at the Adelaide Convention Centre on Monday July 26 2010, winning the Best Café in South Australia award. Owner Gio Musolino also won the Best Employer of the Year award.

More than 1100 guests acknowledged and celebrated the high quality restaurants, caterers and hospitality professionals South Australia has to offer.

Located at Newport Quays, Portobello has panoramic views of the Port River heritage precinct and is regularly visited by local dolphins.

The menu is Mediterranean-style, with fresh and innovative dishes at very reasonable prices.

Word of mouth and recent coverage in PortWalkabout has helped business to steadily increase and staff numbers have doubled.

Gio’s personal award as Employer of the Year is reflected in the friendly and efficient service offered by his staff, creating a warm and inviting ambience.

On winning the award, Gio said “I am only as successful as the people I surround myself with.  Every morning I wake up and remind myself that failure is not an option.  

“Survival comes from supporting the industry that supports you.”

Portobello has a winning combination of waterfront location, sensational food and wine and excellent service.  It’s open for lunch and dinner six days a week and weekend breakfast.

Activists from across Adelaide presented their credentials at the official launch of the Save Our Gulfs Embassy in Semaphore today, and media included Channels 7 and 9.

All voiced their concerns about the effects of discharge of waste from desalination plants and lack of real action by Government on wetlands, storm water and ground water bores.

City of Port Adelaide Enfield Mayor Gary Johanson with Ruth Trigg and cameraman

The Mayor of Port Adelaide Enfield, Gary Johanson, welcomed the Embassy to the city and lamented the dumping of waste from development sites into the Port River which flows into St Vincent Gulf.

He urged local residents to make more use of the abundant supplies of ground water on the Le Fevre Peninsula, support more storm water capture and wetlands and to oppose new development on Torrens Island.

Water activist Ruth Trigg with Channel Seven team

Other speakers, including Ruth Trigg, Professor Diane Bell, Corrie Vanderhoek, John Caldecott and Carol Bailey all said the South Australian Government was asleep at the wheel on the water issues facing the state.

They said Government was pressing ahead with construction of the Port Stanvac desalination plant which, according to many scientists, would devastate much of South Australia’s unique marine biodiversity.

They urged all South Australians to demand reasons why the desalination plant was being fast-tracked without any real consultation with concerned citizens and expressed their sorrow at the death of a worker on the site, which appeared to have resulted from the fast pace of the work there.

The questions that everybody wanted answered were:

• Why is the project 12 months ahead of schedule?
• How many Federal or State infrastructure projects are 12 months ahead of schedule?
• Apart from its obvious destructive effects on marine biodiversity, what effect would desalination plant work in Adelaide suburbs, such as tunnelling and pipe laying, have on nearby residents?

In Queensland similar desalination plant work created major sound and vibration problems for local residents and businesses.

Local band The Dudleys performed two new songs with lyrics protesting about the effects of desalination discharge into St Vincent and Spencer Gulfs.

Local band The Dudleys made the event go with a swing and a message

Everybody at the Embassy launching supported halting construction of the Port Stanvac desalination plant and keeping the 1300 workers there employed by turning it into the world’s best ocean research facility.

Much of what has already been constructed could be utilised in what would contribute to the rest of Australia and the world “a brilliant and much more sensible project.”

A vigil opposing the continuing construction of the Port Stanvac desalination plant will be held on McLaren Wharf Port Adelaide on Friday August 6 at 10 am following a 9.30 am Commemoration at the Navigator memorial for victims of the SS Admella sinking 101 years ago.

Vigils opposing the further construction of the plant will continue around the coastline of South Australia until Government is forced to change its focus.

To see 104 photos of the launch just click on the Save Our Gulfs campaign on Facebook in Portwalkabout Links.

Take the stories with a pinch of salt

• But I thought the desalination plant would take the pressure off the River Murray.
• But I thought that Lakes Alexandrina and Albert were always salt.
• But I thought the rain/currents washed the salt out to sea.

All wrong!

Thirsty for some common sense on how to live in our land of drought and flooding rains?

Wondering what a sustainable Australia might look like?

On Saturday July 31 the Save our Gulfs campaigners and the Save the River Murray campaigners connected their stories with other water warriors at the opening of the Save our Gulfs Embassy in Semaphore.

River advocate Professor Diane Bell brought greetings and support from the Fresh Water Embassy.

“It is becoming a familiar pattern,” said Professor Bell. “We are told there is solid science to support management and development strategies such as the construction of dams, weirs, bunds and desalination plants, but when we seek independent review of the materials we are denied access to key reports, monitoring is inadequate and the goalposts keep moving.

“The River Murray is at Code Catastrophic but it can be saved.

“Our actions have held off the construction of weirs across the River Murray below Wellington and our sustained critique of the construction of so-called regulators has challenged the ‘science’ on which the decision purport to be based.

“I see strong parallels with the desalination plant,” says Bell. “It is true that a considerable financial investment has been made in the plant, but what is the Gulf worth?

“Are we prepared to sacrifice this ecological hot spot? Are we ready to kill the Gulfs with hyper saline discharges and chemical wastes?

“Or are we prepared to learn from the mistakes made by other desalination plants?
“It is not too late and there are alternatives.

“For the past four years the River, Lakes and Coorong Action Group has been commenting, critiquing and correcting the pronouncements of the state and federal government on matters concerning their management strategies for the Murray-Darling River Basin.

“We have argued that it is over-allocation, not drought that is killing the system.
“We have advocated for fresh water flows down the River Murray to flush the accumulated salts and nutrients to sea.

“We have explained that rivers die from the bottom up.

“A healthy river is a precondition for healthy communities and healthy economies.

“Now it is time to join forces with those working for healthy gulfs,” said Professor Bell.

“It is time to show how our those issues are connected. It is time to look at the ‘big picture’ and to take action together.”

Diane Bell: phone 0427 554 194

Learn more about the Fresh Water Embassy

Barker Inlet, Gulf St Vincent

Save Our Gulf Coalition

• This group was formed by concerned people who came together to protest against the desalination plant at Port Stanvac and to protect the Gulf against practices which degrade the marine environment.
• SOGC is not affiliated with any political party and does not receive funding from business or government.
• SOGC endorses the findings of the Adelaide Coastal Water Study.

Banner and signs ready for Saturday's launch at 11 am of the Save Our Gulfs Embassy on Semaphore Road

This post has a long but by no means exhaustive list of the questions raised by the rush to desalination.

SOGC objectives

• To stop the construction of desalination plants in either Gulf St Vincent or Spencer Gulf or any other environmentally inappropriate location on South Australia’s coastline.

 

• To ensure the SA Government enacts a sustainable water policy including storm water harvesting and waste water recycling.

 

• To eliminate harmful storm water, waste water and industrial waste being discharged into the Gulfs.

 
Concerns
The little-known aspects of the biodiversity of the gulfs

• Amongst highest marine biodiversity in the world oceans
• 80% of species unique to this system, whereas 80% of Great Barrier Reef species are present in many other marine systems
• Flinders research re small ppts increase in salinity and effect on eggs — Dr Kirsten Benkendorff, (Ph.D., B.Sc. Hons)
• Overseas marine biologists coming frequently to dive and research marine biodiversity

 
The case of degradation of the coast and gulf by stormwater and treated effluent

• Areas of ‘sea lettuce’  (green algae) are clearly visible along Hallett Cove and Christies Beach North and the O’Sullivan Beach Marina.  This is an indication of an oversupply of nutrients in the water. This may normally happen in summer, but not in winter. Why is this happening? Is this caused by the increased discharge from the Christies Beach Waste Water Treatment Plant?
• Who is monitoring this? Who has responsibility?

 
The flow of water in an estuarine/gulf system

• 200 – 600 day cycle of water movement from south to north
• Slower in summer (slack tides)
• Sam Gaylard  EPA — system in place to cause water flows to disperse salinity — it is already known the dispersal of hypersaline brine is a problem
• Nature of dodge tide, twice per month
• Evidence of poor dispersal of hypersaline brine at Kwinana plant, south of Perth. Two hypoxia conditions this year, caused plant shutdown

The haste of construction — bringing forward the completion date by one year

• Has the doubling of the plant been matched by proper re-engineering of the works?  Whistleblowers inside say no.
• Tugun at Queensland experienced similar rushed building process, now has constant problems, state gov has not yet ‘received’ it after 2-3 years

Boron — humans and pipes

• >0.5 units a problem for humans — draws calcium from bones
• Boron capacity to descale rust from exiting pipes, causing leakage

 
Noise and vibration effects on residences nearby
 
Location of 3-storey pumping stations throughout suburbs
 
Putting water ‘problems’ into one super-expensive basket

• Creates environmental hazard for future generations to deal with
• More efficient solutions currently available
• Building a bigger ‘future’ on a stressed present, or on a proposition to degrade existing resources, is an unacceptable solution
• The case study of the Salisbury wetlands is a beacon for other actions
• The case study of the degradation of the gulf’s geology and marine systems by stormwater runoff shows that further stresses by hypersaline brine is not acceptable

 
The incapacity of EPA to do ‘real time’ monitoring all aspects of the plant operation

• Is AdelaideAqua licensed to self-monitor the desalination process and its effects on the marine environment?
• Has the EPA applied for the same computer modelling program to be used by AdelaideAqua, and suitably qualified analysts to use and interpret it?
• Which independent consultants will the EPA be using, in the absence of the ($200 000) modelling program AdelaideAqua is using?
• Has a capacity been built into the Port Stanvac desalination plant for intake sea water to come straight in and out, for the purpose of dealing with the problem of the dispersal of hypersaline brine in conditions of low tidal movement?
• Is it the case the desalination plant cannot easily shut down because it needs water to keep running through it?
• The Pt Lowly EIS is not yet submitted. It is a more specialised appraisal based on the location, particularly the layering of habitats. Is there an agreement with SA Water BHP to set the dispersal rate at 11-20:1?
• Under what conditions could EPA require a dispersal rate of 85:1 at the Pt Lowly site?
• Are appropriate monitoring devices being installed during construction to monitor and prevent materials leaking through to contaminate coastal groundwater aquifers, from the long inlet/outlet pipes?
• If so, are they attached to fixed structures to ensure failsafe subsurface flow processes?
• What are these monitoring devices?
• Where and how are they being attached or incorporated to the initial construction?
• How are these monitoring devices going to be maintained?
• Are sensors being installed during the construction phase to monitor
  — the temperature of the extruded brine
  — the chlorine levels of the extruded brine
  — the copper levels of the extruded brine
  — any other materials which can contaminate the marine system
  — if so, what are these sensors
• Where and how are they being attached or incorporated into the initial construction?
• How are these monitoring devices going to be maintained?
• What pollutants are to be analysed?
  — The pollutants from the process which are going to be stored on land
  — The pollutants which are going to be put into the sea
  — What instruments are going to be used?
• Where will the instruments be placed?
• Will the instruments be placed in the system before the desalination process begins?
• How will these instruments (each instrument) be calibrated, and how often?
• Who will do this monitoring and analysis?
• What status of independence do the agents who are managing the monitoring have in relation to the managers of the desalination plant?
• What is the source of the discharge, through a flexible plastic pipe, onto the ‘beach’ below the desalination plant?
• Has the EPA done tests on the molluscs on the rocky ledge at the base of the desal plant on the beach, which have apparently died since the presence of the discharge?
• If not, why not?
• If there is a breach of the environmental conditions placed on the plant (for example, an acid spill), what is the procedure for reporting?
• If there is a breach of the environmental conditions placed on the plant (for example, an acid spill), what is the procedure for dealing with such an event?
• Is the EPA undertaking any comparative research or aware of similar problems with other desalination plants?
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Angie Starr (guitar) with Sue Winton (Banjo) from The Dudleys

Semaphore band The Dudleys will perform two new songs at the launch of the Save Our Gulfs Embassy at the Semaphore Information & Eco Centre in the Masonic Buildings on Semaphore Road at 11 am on Saturday July 31.

“The songs are written for, and speaking on behalf of the voiceless marine sea-life, who are at risk of increased high levels of salt & toxic chemicals that threaten to endanger sea life, their and our food chain around the Spencer and St Vincent Gulfs,” said the Dudleys’ Angie Starr.

First song: 

Lyrics by Angie (Starr) Psarombas and Kimberley  Mann)- copywright 2010 (to the tune of ‘Ticket to Ride’)

DESALINATION IS NOT OUR  SALVATION! 
 
Verse 1
I think I’m gonna be sad — I think it’s today — yeah
The sea water that we live in is threatening to change — beware
 
Chorus
Who’s gonna save our lives?
Desalination is not our salvation
Who’s gonna save our lives — But do you care?
 
Verse 2
Desalination sucks marine life — out of our gulfs — beware
Increased salt levels & brine-kills squid, fish eggs, whiting
It’s a crime —  death everywhere
 
Chorus
Who’s gonna save our gulfs?
Desalination is not our salvation
Who’s gonna save our gulfs — but do you care?
 
Bridge
C.E.O’s in boardrooms riding so high
They ought think right, they ought do right
Eat that humble pie
Putting profits before their people
They ought think right, they oughta do right
Listen loud to you & I
 
Verse 3
Multinational corporations-force us to pay- Beware
Double for our drinking water while reservoirs,
Overflow with rain (how stupid are they?)
 
Chorus
Desalination is not our salvation
Environmental damage is not he solution
Desalination is not our salvation
But do you care? Stand up if you care (x4)
 
Second song:
 
Lyrics by Stephen Darley – copywright 2010 (to the tune of ‘Smoke on the water’)

SALT IN THE WATER

We all came to Port Stanvac
On the Adelaide shoreline
To stop desalination 
We didn’t have too much time
Colin Pitman and the wetlands
Were still the best idea around
But some pollies with a bad plan
Two billion they found
Salt in the water, carbon in the sky, salt in the water

They burned up the money soon,
For no good reason I have found
And the River Murray is running out
BHP takes water from the ground
When the earth’s all over
We can’t find another place
Us human’s time may be running out
It seems we think we’re in a race
Salt in the water, carbon in the sky, salt in the water

We ended up at the parliament
It was empty cold and bare
But with all the people just outside
Making our loud voices there
With a few more shouts and a few less votes
We can make the  pollies sweat
No matter where we get with this
You know, I know we’ll never forget
Salt in the water, carbon in the sky, salt in the water

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