Amanda Rishworth (Kingston, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to acknowledge the efforts of the Port Noarlunga community in completing a new sculpture at Port Noarlunga beach. My electorate of Kingston is home to many beautiful beaches, including the very picturesque Port Noarlunga beach. Port Noarlunga is surrounded by a reef only 150 metres from the shore, which has made it a popular destination for diving, snorkelling and swimming. As a young child, I spent many summers on that beach, enjoying everything that it has to offer.

The Port Noarlunga community's newest project is an installation called The Goggles which is now situated on the foreshore. This project was initiated by the Friends of Gulf St Vincent and the Port Noarlunga Business and Tourism Association. Jeanette from the Port Noarlunga Business and Tourism Association said there were a number of reasons behind the project. The first was to create a sculpture on Port Noarlunga beach that highlights the beauty of the marine life at Port Noarlunga and sends a message about the importance of protecting our oceans. They also wanted to create a teaching tool for the over 14,000 students who use Port Noarlunga beach for aquatic activities each year. Finally, they wanted to create an iconic sculpture that will be an attraction for tourists and add to the economic development of the community.

Local husband and wife Anna Small and Warren Pickering, from A Small Art Factory, were selected to create the piece. Anna and Warren designed a large steel sculpture in the shape of goggles, to allow visitors to look through the sculpture and observe the reef, jetty and sunsets. The design incorporates the rich marine life at Port Noarlunga by depicting a number of local marine species. The sculpture has been completed and was unveiled to the community last week on World Oceans Day. The Goggles has added to the already beautiful landscape and area of the Port Noarlunga beach. It will be enjoyed by local residents and tourists for many years to come. I would like to congratulate the Port Noarlunga Business and Tourism Association and the Friends of Gulf St Vincent for their hard work and involvement in bringing this piece to life. I also want to congratulate Anna and Warren from A Small Art Factory on creating this beautiful work, and Wades Engineering, who put in hours upon hours of work to construct the sculpture. I also acknowledge the City of Onkaparinga for providing grant funding, and ExxonMobil and Wine Coast accommodation for their support. Finally, I would particularly like to acknowledge the entire Port Noarlunga community, including the Port Noarlunga Primary School and Aquatic Centre, who have all contributed to making this a very special piece of art. Together, the community takes so much pride in the area and I would invite any members to come and visit our beautiful Port Noarlunga.