Photo. 5049+Electrify Team with Saul Griffiths at his book launch in September 2025.

In the 5049 area we are witnessing first hand the devasting effects of the algal bloom.

The warmer ocean temperature has created ideal conditions for algae to grow and is one of the key causes of the algal bloom. As water warms, it holds less oxygen, making it harder for fish and plants to survive while favouring heat-tolerant algae. The blooms block sunlight, deplete oxygen and kill fish. Climate change is impacting the intensity and frequency of marine heatwaves and therefore the likelihood of more algal blooms like we are seeing now.

5049+ Electrify is a small group of local volunteers, part of a growing Australia-wide movement, passionate about addressing the climate crisis through a plan to electrify everything.

Fully electrifying your home is one of the most effective ways households can reduce their carbon footprint. By switching from gas to efficient electric appliances powered by renewable energy, families can significantly cut their carbon emissions and reliance on fossil fuels. South Australia already leads the nation in renewable generation, meaning an electrified home benefits directly from cleaner, cheaper power.

The 5049+ Electrify group encourages you to consider making this climate-friendly transition with a step-by-step local and practical plan.

We were lucky enough to support the recent book launch of Saul Griffith’s latest book Plug In! The Electrification Handbook.

In this book, energy expert Saul Griffith, with help from some of his electrifying friends, covers the five big decisions you can take for your home

1. Where you get your electricity
2. Hot water
3. Heating your home
4. Cooking
5. Transport

The book is available at most major book retailers.

It provides practical advice on electrifying your home and cars and could be a great Christmas gift for someone you know!

Ways you can connect with us

• Follow us on our Electrify 5049+ Facebook page
• Come for a chat at our stall at the Repair Cafe on the 3rd Sunday of every month at the Marino Community Hall

Dr Warwick Noble is a environmental scientist specialising in the marine environment. He has over 20 years experience in water quality, ecology, environmental regulation, restoration, risk assessment and pollution control.

Dr Noble has written 4 articles on South Australia’s algal bloom. These articles were originally published on LinkedIn and are available here, for our 5049 Coastal Community, with his permission.

The long dry spell is putting the native vegetation in the park under considerable stress, particularly the natives planted last year. We have had to resort to paying for a water truck to come and do some supplementary watering.

The volunteers have been working hard already this year, watering, tackling olives, collecting seed to propagate for this year’s planting and doing some general tidying up around the park.

Some good news though: we were successful with our latest Grant application for $14,356, which will be used to clear a strip surrounding the landfill area. This will then be planted with native vegetation, creating a buffer zone around the landfill, which is currently being prepared for direct seeding of native grasses.

This whole area will eventually be transformed from an unsightly patch of weeds into a field of native grasses, providing a food source for many native butterflies.

Allan Wilson

About our group…

The Friends of Marino Conservation Park assist the staff of National Parks and Wildlife SA to protect the Park’s remnant coastal heath vegetation, and to return the remainder of the Park to a natural condition, by controlling weeds and replanting appropriate species.

New volunteers are always welcome. Please contact us via email for information about how to get involved. waughson4842@gmail.com

The Hooded Plover breeding season is July to March, but this year it possibly finished in January in Holdfast Bay. After reporting the tragic loss of a chick, possibly killed by an e-bike in November, XM and partner laid another three eggs on the beach adjacent to Brighton Caravan Park.

Two chicks hatched on 21 December – just in time for the busy holiday period, and five days later they moved to the storm drain adjacent to Young Street. One chick was predated by a Silver Gull and the remaining chick managed to survive 23 days before it disappeared – cause unknown.

Since then, the two adults have been sighted at Marino Rocks and show no signs of breeding again.

Birdlife volunteers (supported by Green Adelaide) and Holdfast Bay Council invested heavily in site management, community education and compliance.

Thanks to all involved including strong community support.

Breeding results for XM and partner 2024-25: nests – 3; eggs – 9; chicks – 7; fledged – 0

Organised by Electrify 5049+ 

Attendees:
On Sunday 13 October from 2-4pm, over 45 people attended our community forum at the Brighton & Seacliff Yacht Club, in postcode 5049. Guests included The Hon Louise Miller-Frost MP (Federal Member for Boothby).

Why the forum?
Household electrification, through its 6 ‘pillars’ – solar panels, batteries, EV charging, home heating and cooling, hot water and cooking – is the best near term solution to quickly reduce domestic climate emissions, while making significant energy and cost of living savings.
Many households local to postcode 5049 have solar, however not everyone is aware of the benefits of electric vehicles, batteries, electric space heating, induction cooking and efficient electric hot water. The forum was designed to assist participants with electrifying their own households and to discuss how we can increase household electrification in local areas of the City of Holdfast Bay and City of Marion.

What happened?
The forum included demonstrations of electric vehicles, e-bikes and induction cooking, as well as presentations on the benefits and ‘how-to’ of household electrification. Participants discussed their barriers to electrification and attended specific break out sessions. Information on household electrification was also on hand from Finn Peacock – Solar Quotes, the City of Marion, the City of Holdfast Bay and SA Power Networks. Ideas for further community action were discussed and participants provided feedback to improve future events.

Feedback from attendees included…..
“found out about rebates”; learned about “latest processes for household electrification”; “got info on battery”, learned about “EV 2 way charge”; learned about “EV, solar and heat pumps” and “induction”
“need to do more research and visit Repair Cafe” “provide handout on ‘Next Steps’”
Barriers to electrification: The most common barriers are cost and finance plus a lack of technical information and support.

Actions suggested for the community & E5049+
● we can lead by demonstrating demand in our homes
● the Electrify 5049+ group will help householders to prepare household electrification plans at its monthly Marino Repair Cafe
● participate in the recently announced City of Marion bulk buy solar and battery scheme
● establish special interest groups for different aspects of household electrification eg Energy management, EVs, E Bikes, Heat pumps etc.

Actions suggested for State Government
● Reintroduce the Home Battery Subsidy scheme, as cost is the current barrier for home battery storage and participation in VPPs
● Make all new house builds electric only by default
● Broaden the REPS program to allow more households to access rebates for energy efficiency and electrification and make it easier to access

Actions suggested for Federal Government
● HECS for Electrification loans program to provide affordable loans for all households to electrify their homes with the loans payable upon property sale
● Making solar, batteries and EV charging easier for strata and apartment buildings

Next steps
If you haven’t already done so, please complete our online household electrification survey (click on Take the Survey) at www.electrifyadelaide.com

Say hello to Electrify 5049+ at the Repair Cafe marymalc1@gmail.com

If you live outside of the 5049+ postcode area, contact Electrify Adelaide electrifyadelaide@gmail.com to work with them in your community

For more information about electrifying your home visit www.electrifyadelaide.com

Acknowledgment:

Electrify Your Home & $ave! 5049+ Community Forum was organised by the community groups Electrify 5049+ and Electrify Adelaide, teams of volunteers passionate about making positive change in our communities. Electrify 5049+ gratefully acknowledges a grant of $1,000 from the City of Holdfast Bay to assist holding the forum. Electrify Adelaide is supported in its activities by a SA Power Networks Community Grant over the 2024-25 Financial Year, and works closely with Rewiring Australia, founded by Australian engineer and innovator Dr Saul Griffith.

Earth, Water, Fire and Air

Speakers included Chris Tugwell from the Murray River Dark Sky Reserve, Martin Lewicki from the Astronomical Society of SA, and lighting designer Henry Elebra. They provided us with some excellent resources and information about the effects of badly designed lighting on humans, wildlife, and of course for viewing the stars.

 Henry presented us with possible ways forward to mitigate many of the current problems using existing technology and a better approach to planning and design. Lighting should be only be as bright as needed, properly shielded to direct light to where it is needed, and set at a lower “colour temperature” (ie around 3000K which gives a warm, white glow rather the blueish glow of “daylight” LEDs). This will save money by optimising the power requirements, as well as reducing glare, minimising disruption to both human and animal circadian rhythms: and even help us to see the stars. A “win-win” for all!

 It was noted that, while Councils and Governments have moved to the provision of LED street lights in the attempt to be more environmentally responsible by reducing power requirements, in many cases the lights are poorly designed: too bright, with too much glare, inadequate or non-existent shielding and set at a colour temperature that is not beneficial to humans and wildlife.

 Responses were very positive from all present. There is certainly some political will to support the recognition of existing problems and work on solutions, as well as planning better for the future. We believe the event was a great start, and we are hopeful that it will provide a catalyst for future planning to incorporate better lighting and set a positive guide for development across the Adelaide area. After the input sessions, many people were able to look through one of the telescopes that were set up on the balcony by members of the Astronomical Society of SA.

 Special thanks to the City of Holdfast Bay for their grant support to cover the venue hire, and to Sue Wiseman for her vision and enthusiasm in raising the issues and encouraging change.

 A shady meandering path in Seacliff extending from the Portland St underpass to the Lions Club carpark near Young St, it’s much used by dog walkers and families. Wander along on a hot day to feel a few degrees cooler and enjoy the native plant walkway. What a transformation from the neglected and weedy area it was in 2000, closed off from the public by a rusty wire fence! Sometimes it was treated by herbicide to keep the weeds down but the spray often drifted into people’s gardens affecting asthmatics and plant-life.

How was this change achieved?

Nowadays the area is leased to the City of Holdfast Bay who maintain it, installing new native plants and with locals still helping informally. Have you bumped into Lynda Yates there, carefully carting water for new saplings or planting something she’s grown from local seed?

Would you like to be involved in something similar? There are groups in the 5049 community who work wonders on greening and transforming our spaces – check out the Seacliff Railcare group with their current project to create a butterfly habitat verge, showcasing local native plants on Kauri Parade opposite the ‘To Seaford’ platform.:

Second Saturday 9 -10:30am each month. Look for the flag flying in the vicinity of either platform. To get involved, visit https://www.adelaidemetro.com.au/about-us/rail-care/volunteer

The reply to the letter from locals concerned about spear fishing at Marino Rocks has been received from Minister Clare Scriven, Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development.

Unfortunately the letter upholds the lifting of the spear fishing ban. It repeats the responses made by PIRSA and the last government’s minister. It ignores that the consultation was deliberately skewed to groups with an interest in spear fishing, either as clubs or as bait and tackle shops. 

The letter states “The groups included several City Councils, recreational fishing groups, conservation groups, surf lifesaving clubs and sea rescue stakeholders.” It does not acknowledge that very few conservation groups were consulted and no coastal communities apart from SLSCs. It does not admit that only spear fishing clubs and bait shops voted to lift the ban. All other groups including the local councils wanted the ban to remain.

There was an almost 50:50 response to the consultation, slightly more against lifting the ban if anything, and that would normally mean the status quo was retained ie. no change made but not in this case! The response, if you consider the number of people those groups actually represented, like the local councils, was very definitely in favour of keeping the ban but it was lifted anyway. A coincidence that the last Minister’s advisory group was headed by the leader of a spear fishing group?!

The letter also says “The South Australian Government, as custodian of the State’s community-owned fisheries resources, has a fundamental role in managing these resources to ensure they are biologically sustainable” (our bolding) but added that “recreational fishing and commercial fishing activities are to be fostered for the benefit of the whole”. To open up to spear fishing 2 small areas (Marino Rocks – Hallett Cove and Outer Harbor) on the metropolitan coast close to where 1m people live does not bode well for the sustainability of these areas, no matter how well PIRSA police it – and they are not even monitoring the marine life that is disappearing.

A meeting with the minister was requested but the letter did not offer one.  

If you feel that this was an undemocratic decision and will badly affect the local marine life (especially as Marino Rocks is a nursery for juvenile fish), then please sign the petition and write a letter to the Minister. Only continuing public pressure will help reinstate the ban. 5049CC will keep trying but maybe the spear fishers will give up when there is so little marine life left at Marino Rocks that it is not worth their while going there any more.

Read the full letter here.

The Climate Council have just released a conversation guide on their website www.climatecouncil.org.au which you can read here.

This is a precis. The guide suggests how you can best engage with friends, family, social media and even your MP to explain the latest climate science and solutions.

The Climate Council’s report, ‘Aim Hard, Go Fast: Why emissions need to plummet this decade’ shows that climate change is accelerating faster than previously thought. Australia needs to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 75% by 2030 and race to net zero emissions by 2035. Join the conversation!

5 top tips:

1. DEGREES OF DANGER Already, at 1.1°C of global temperature rise, Australians’ lives and livelihoods are being harmed. It is likely that the global average temperature rise will breach 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels in the 2030s.

DON’T Focus on specific facts or figures as they often mean little to most people.

DO Keep things simple. Use phrases like: − ‘Every fraction of a degree matters’ and ‘There is no “safe” level of global warming’ to highlight that climate change is a clear and present danger.

2. FOCUS ON WHAT WE CAN CHANGE Past inaction is frustrating but dwelling on it does not help –look forward to what we can do now.
Tip: Excite people about the opportunities and benefits that come from acting on climate change.

3. GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS NEED TO PLUMMET THIS DECADE Talk about solutions required this decade by Australia, such as phasing out all existing fossil fuels and replacing them with other energy sources built around renewable electricity.

Tip: Talk about the growing momentum around international climate action, as this increases a sense of urgency for our issue among less concerned audiences.

Tip: Suggest getting to net zero as a race, where Australia is falling behind and losing out on the clean economy race.

4. CONNECT THE SCALE AND URGENCY OF THIS WORSENING SITUATION TO THE REQUIRED RESPONSE Climate change is accelerating and our response must match the scale and speed of this.

Tip: Make the point that the scale and speed of action matters. Simply acting is not enough: we need to do more, and faster.

5. HIGHLIGHT THE PROGRESS THAT’S ALREADY UNDERWAY Action is contagious. Talk about solutions that are already underway, and provide positive examples of what communities, businesses and state and local governments have already achieved.

Tip: It doesn’t matter how big or how small the example is. Showing people that something can be done gives them the confidence that we can do more. By investing in wind and solar technologies, South Australia has become a global leader in renewable energy. The state already generates over half of its electricity from renewable sources and is aiming to reach 100% by 2030.

For more information: Refer to the Climate Council’s annual States Renewable Energy Race report for information about how States and Territories are taking action to reduce emissions.

ENGAGING IN CONVERSATION ONLINE
When it comes to conversing online, here are a few things to keep in mind:

If you’re sharing content, such as a video or image, include a short paragraph to summarise what it’s about, and why it matters. Think about the perspective of the person reading: what’s most important for them to know? Be clear and direct. If you want your friends to take an action, such as emailing their MP, or reading an article, remember to include a link to the action/article and specify what you’d like them to do. Remember to explain why it’s worth doing and how it will make a difference.

Tip: It’s a good idea to include a visual element to draw the eye and illustrate your point. Here are a range of shareable digital resources you can use: − Video: ‘Change the story’ on Facebook / IGTV − Social media graphics on Facebook / Instagram − Article by Climate Councillor, Prof. Lesley Hughes: What keeps climate scientists like me awake at night – and why the next 10 years are so critical.

Tip: If you’re posting about the report on Instagram, add the link to your bio so your friends and followers can open it straight in their browser (it won’t work in the caption)!

Remember to tag the Climate Council or link back to their website climatecouncil.org.au

Together, we can help push all decision makers to step up their action, and excite more Australians about the opportunities and benefits this will bring us.