New Tennyson Dunes Discovery

The trail for Tennyson Conservation Reserve which will allow visitors to enjoy a mix of coastal dune and sea-view experiences has been finalised.

The proposed 1.5-kilometre Tennyson Dunes Discovery Trail has been designed as a low-speed, shared use, environmentally-sensitive path that helps protect the valuable coastal dune area.

The trail alignment follows an extensive public consultation process where the voices of residents, bike riders, environmental groups and walkers were influential in the path’s design.

The project’s next phase will be the detailed design phase, in collaboration with local stakeholders, before construction begins. More details are at www.yoursay.sa.gov.au

Background

The Tennyson Dunes are 22 hectares of coastal dunes with natural grass and shrub land that is the last true remnant of the Adelaide metropolitan coastal plains.

The reserve is 12 kilometres north-west of the city near locally-historic Estcourt House, and holds rare and regionally-significant plants, bird life, reptiles and invertebrates.

Tennyson Dunes Group is hosting an open day on this Sunday from 11am – 2pm, featuring free tours with the experts, children’s activities, local wood art, a native plant sale and BBQ.

The proposed Trail is the result of significant consultation and collaboration between environmental experts, community groups and residents to get the best outcome for the environment and the community. Find out more at here.

Quotes attributable to Environment Minister Ian Hunter

Tennyson Dunes was declared a Coastal Conservation Reserve last year, and this next step will help the community to enjoy the area while protecting this valuable environmental asset.

The trail is designed to allow visitors to experience the reserve and take the time to enjoy the natural beauty of the dunes at their own pace.

The dunes provide the best remaining habitat in the Adelaide area for coastal reptiles such as the extraordinary Painted Dragon, and rare coastal plants such as the Cushion Fanflower.

Quotes attributable to Member for Lee Stephen Mullighan

It has been important to the local community and environmental groups like the Tennyson Dunes group that we protect this unique environment.

I am really pleased that we have been able to improve public access to the dunes while respecting and preserving the important local ecology.

This is a model which should be adopted by all levels of government seeking to preserve important environmental areas while improving public access.