SDF News Sheet November 2005 A service to members of the SCUBA DIVERS FEDERATION OF SA Working to develop the sport of Scuba diving in SA PO Box 360, Goodwood SA 5034 [email protected] www.sdfsa.net NEXT MEETING Monthly meetings of the SDF are held at 8pm on the 2nd Tuesday of each month at Santos Stadium, 145 Railway Terrace, Mile End. These meetings are held in the room on the 1st floor next to the stairs. Our next meeting is being held on Tuesday 13th December at 8pm. If you (or your club) are a member, you will be reminded of this date when the minutes and agenda are emailed out. The December issue of Dive Log will be available at our meeting. INSURANCE In November we sent out a fact sheet from Barker Meier Insurance Brokers detailing facts of the Public Liability Insurance and Directors & Officebearers Insurance that the SDF is negotiating on behalf of members. The fact sheet also attempts to clarify misconceptions about other types of insurance cover and explains the Sportscover policy wording. The Public Liability Insurance cover offered for recreational scuba divers includes; • Public Liability $10,000,000• Products Liability $10,000,000• Professional Indemnity $1,000,000• Capital Benefits $5,000To establish an economically viable Public Liability Insurance cover with a premium of approximately $25- per person, we need a total of 280 people. Only 5 clubs expressed interest in our previous offer. However, we have since learned that a number of clubs that elected not to proceed have members that would like to take out individual Public Liability cover. To assist these people, the SDF is offering individual membership for $5- and the Public Liability cover will be available to all individual SDF members. It is proposed that the SDF will hold the master policy and member clubs and individual SDF members will be incorporated under the policy. The SDF will apportion the premium among the clubs and its individual members on a pro-rata basis. Please take the time to read the Barker Meier fact sheet and policy wording carefully. We are sure that you will recognise the risk that you are exposed to without Public Liability Insurance cover. Each of us has moral responsibility to our fellow divers and club members to ensure that they are covered in the event of a tragedy. The cost of approximately $25- per annum per member is a small price to pay for this peace of mind. The SDF proposes to seek payment of premiums from clubs and individual members up front. If a club still elects not to proceed, we ask that you inform your members of the SDF’s proposed individual Public Liability Insurance cover and have any interested persons contact the SDF to register their interest before 31st December 2005. Directors & Office Bearers/Club Association Reimbursement Legal Liability cover is also available to member clubs. The SDF recommends that each club should also hold this type of cover and it would also be incorporated in a Master Policy. All clubs involved, and particularly their Executive Committee Members, would benefit for a minimal premium of approximately $3- per member per annum. SportsCover’s Proposal Forms for Amateur Sports (Public Liability cover) and Directors & Officers Club/ Association Reimbursement Legal Liability for Sporting Clubs (Directors & Officebearers cover) were also sent out to all member clubs. Please complete and return the proposals by 31st December 2005.

If you have any queries or wish a member of the SDF Executive to visit your club to explain the insurance cover, please contact Bob Butterfield on mobile 0417 838 387. SHARK SIGHTING ALERTS We have been passing details of shark sightings from SARDI on to our members. It is now thought, however, that this is largely a waste of time for the following reasons: • The reports may be unreliable. • Great Whites cruise along the coast in random wanderings at an average of many kilometres per day. By the time a "sighting" is recorded and disseminated, the shark will be far away. • The reporting system will only unnecessarily scare people away long after the shark has left. • It will also lead the ignorant general public to believe that:• "1 shark sighting = any diver is an idiot to go into the water". It would probably be better if reports could be confined to radio warnings such as "Attention all divers within 3 kilometres of "X", be advised that a shark sighting has been reported at XXhundred hours". Then the diver can choose how much time and distance to put between the sighting and the next dive. Unless there continues to be a demand for the Shark Sighting Alerts to be sent to our members, we will not be forwarding them on any more from now on. RAPID BAY JETTY UPDATE The SA Government has acknowledged that the Rapid Bay jetty is one of the most popular in the State and one of the best diving and fishing locations. They are committed to exploring all avenues for the preservation of the jetty. An Environmental Impact Assessment Study, which had not been completed by early November, is holding up a proposed stakeholders meeting. REEF WATCH NEWS MARATHON DIVE The December Marathon Dive is being held at Second Valley on Saturday 3rd December. Divers and snorkellers are wanted to help to do fish and benthic surveys. Dives and snorkels are being held in the morning and the afternoon. Dive briefing times will be held at 9.45am and 2pm. There will be a free BBQ for participants and helpers. Children are welcome to attend. There will be prizes and giveaways. To take part in the Marathon Dive visit www.reefwatch.asn.au/marathondec.html to register on-line or contact Reef Watch on 8223 5155 or at [email protected] . Further information will be available on the Reef Watch website at www.reefwatch.asn.au . REEF MONITORING The next MLSSA reef monitoring dive at Hallett Cove Reef is being held on Sunday 27th November. All divers are welcome to participate in either monitoring or training but please contact Reef Watch before the day. Reef Watch instructors will be on hand to provide training for whoever requires it. Meet in car park by SLSC at 9.00am. We will be able to ferry equipment to the reef at the northern end of the beach using 4WD. This is a rare opportunity for easy access to a rather nice patch of reef. Future monitoring dives are scheduled for Sunday February 26th and Sunday May 28th 2006. OTHER EVENTS Sat 19th and/or Sat 26th November – dive surveys at Victor Harbor/Port Elliot (Fleurieu Dive Club). Help from other divers is welcomed. There will be a charter boat to work from and a BBQ after the surveys.

Sun 4th December – dive at Port Noarlunga. This is the usual monthly monitoring dive hosted by the SODS. (The Wilderness Society will be launching their campaign for Marine National Parks on that day, with an underwater banner – see below. There will also be an event, Marion Celebrates the Coast at Hallett Cove, contact Sarah Bignell ([email protected]) for further details.) Sat 17th December - Intertidal Workshop at Victor Harbor. Details to follow. WILDERNESS SOCIETY OCEAN CARE DAY EVENT On Sunday 4th December The Wilderness Society launch their campaign for Marine National Parks with an underwater banner at Port Noarlunga. Contact Tammy-Jo Sutton at [email protected] for further details. NEW SA FISHERIES PATROL VESSEL The Southern Ranger is a new SA Fisheries patrol vessel which was launched in September. The new long-range vessel is based at North Haven to enable rapid deployment into Gulf St Vincent and adjacent waters. The $2.6m vessel has a range of 800nm and it will be able to provide sea coverage out to 200nm. It replaces the 14-year old Tucana and complements the department’s fleet of vessels that patrol rivers, gulfs and in-shore areas. DISCOUNTS ON SHARK DETERRENTS We have made arrangements with several dive shops regarding the sale of shark deterrents to members of SDF clubs at discount prices. The following dive shops have offered special deals for SDF member clubs: - Southern Diving, Glenelg Scuba, Underwater Sports, Scuba Commercial, Divers Service, Divers Delight and Adelaide Scuba. The SDF is not acting as ‘the middle man’ regarding purchases of shark deterrents. It is up to each club (or their members) to visit any (or all) of these shops to enquire about the deals being offered by them. Some shops will only give discounts for bulk purchases. They may require a letter confirming your current membership of SDF, in which case give us your postal address so that we can mail you our rubber-stamped letter to take to your chosen supplier. SHARK PATROLS The rescue helicopter is now patrolling beaches for up to six hours a day on weekends and public holidays until March. Fixed-wing aircraft will also patrol beaches on weekdays until 31st January. Shark sightings should be reported on the Fishwatch hotline on 1800 065 522. Enquiries regarding recent shark sightings can be made to Police Communications on 8207 4487. LOOKING BACK (20 YEARS) The SDF participated in a Hobby Fair held at the Wayville Showgrounds 23rd to 24th November 1985. We displayed things such as diving equipment, photographs, slides, artifacts, a mini submarine and inflatable boats. Handouts promoting the pleasures of diving, dive courses and dive clubs were given to the public. A swimming pool was set up to allow people to try scuba gear out i.e. breathing on a regulator. There were also diving demonstrations. The following weekend we held the “Dive ‘85” seminar at AMDEL (the Australian Mineral Foundation) in Conyngham Street, Glenside on 30th November 1985. There were several displays by dive shops, distributors, clubs and travel groups. HOBART’S ANNIVERSARY It has now been over three years since the Hobart was scuttled in Yankalilla Bay. The scuttling date was 5th November 2002. It is, of course, now 12 months since the Great Southern Dive Expo was held on the 2nd anniversary of the scuttling (5-7th November 2004). Other Hobart events which occurred over three years ago include a visit by the SDF Executive to the ship on 10th

August 2002 and a visit by all clubs on 18th October 2002. Barbecues were held at the end of each of these two visits. Crowds of people then witnessed the towing of the Hobart from No.1 Dock, Port Adelaide, down the Port River to Outer Harbor and down Gulf St Vincent to her place of rest. HOBART UPDATE Signage indicating accurate location of mooring buoys on the Hobart are now being installed at the Wirrina / Sunset Cove boat ramp. NEW SEA RESCUE BOAT Whilst on the topic of the Hobart, a new $226,000 7m- rescue vessel will now be patrolling the waters around her. The Joan Stanton will be based at Wirrina. The Sea Rescue Squadron will use her to patrol the waters from her base to Cape Jervis and KI every weekend and public holiday. LOGGING ON TO SEA RESCUE Incidentally, you don’t have to be a member of Sea Rescue to be able to log your boat trip with them. Contact Sea Rescue on channel 88 or 16 and give them your boat’s registration No., details of the number of people on board and your expected return time. MORE BOATING SAFETY Have you considered a diver recall system, a shot line at the stern of your boat, installing a buoy on your anchor line, a briefing check list or emergency check list? Please consider all of these. Meanwhile, the SDF is drawing up ‘suggestions for safer diving’ which should include all of the above. A standardized diver recall system and suggestions about when it is either safe or unsafe to dive will be included. ADVENTURE ACTIVITY STANDARDS Recreation SA’s working committee for the Snorkelling, Scuba and Aquatic Wildlife Tours Adventure Activity Standards (AAS) met during October. David Williamson (Regency TAFE) is the Chair of the working committee. David, Mary-Anne Stacey (AUF) and Steve Reynolds (SDF) attended this first meeting which mainly involved reviewing Victoria’s AAS for adoption in SA. Another meeting is scheduled for 19th December. AAS are voluntary guidelines to promote safety, protection and assistance. Each AAS will be developed to be a statewide industry benchmark describing current legal responsibility, leaders responsibilities, environmental considerations, planning expectations, equipment requirements and additional activity information for organizations and leaders conducting group activities. The AAS project seeks to address and provide clarity on such issues as equipment use and standards, benchmarks for group size, planning including emergency procedures, competency of leaders, risk management and environmentally sustainable practices for SA’s adventure sector (commercial & not-for profit providers). PORT NOARLUNGA The anchor at Port Noarlunga reef fell from its rock base during a storm last year and was starting to sink into the sand. Thanks to some well-muscled divers, it has now been placed back on to the rock base. It is now laying with the cross-spar flat on the rock, one fluke on the sand and the other fluke pointing to the surface. It is thought that the bottom fluke will gradually dig in to the sand until the tip hits some rock beneath – then it should never move. The jetty steps, which fell to the seabed during the last big storm, were pulled out of the water. PIRSA were getting a quote to have them repaired. If the repair quote is too high, they may replace the steps completely. The new steps would be a stronger and better material. The City of Onkaparinga

rejected claims that the proposed foreshore redevelopment plan was not ‘diver friendly’, saying that the existing lawn area will be retained and tables and benches to assist divers to gear up will be installed on the grass area. FERRY BETWEEN WALLAROO AND LUCKY BAY APPROVED The State Government has now approved the ferry between Wallaroo and Lucky Bay. Construction work could begin as soon as April 2006. There will be two ferries going between Lucky Bay and Wallaroo and each trip will take about 1¾ hours. The ferries will save about 330km of driving. MSFMC MEETING A public meeting / information evening will be held by the Marine Scalefish Fishery Management Committee at the Wallaroo Town Hall, Irwine Street, Wallaroo on Friday 9th December 2005 at 7.00pm. Contact Keith Usher on 8278 7191 or at [email protected] for further information. WEATHER RADAR ON THE WEB Visit http://www.bom.gov.au/weather/radar to see up to date weather imagery provided by the Bureau of Meteorology’s new Doppler radar. DIVING RESEARCH PROJECT A University of Newcastle study into recreational scuba diving on artificial reefs is seeking participants. Contact Paul Stolk at [email protected] for more details. MONSTER QUIZ NIGHT The Henley and Grange Residents Association and the Friends of Gulf St Vincent are jointly holding a Monster Quiz Night on Friday 18th November at the Reedbeds Community Centre, Phelps Crt, Fulham. Doors open at 7:15pm for a 7:30pm start. BYO nibbles and drinks. Organise a table of 8 to 10 people. Bookings are essential. Tickets are $10 each. Contact: - Paul Laris: [email protected], 83562274, Jim Douglas: [email protected], 83560302, Nick Crouch: [email protected], 0427000109. Profits will go towards supporting both the Henley and Grange Residents Association and the Friends of Gulf St Vincent. The Henley and Grange Residents Association campaigns for resident and environmental issues in the western suburbs. The Friends of Gulf St Vincent advocate for wise care of our precious local marine environment. CLUB NEWS FLINDERS UNIVERSITY UNDERWATER CLUB’S NEW CLUBROOMS All SDF members are invited to the grand opening of the Flinders University Underwater Club’s new clubrooms (and free BBQ) being held on Friday November 25th from 6pm onwards. A barbecue dinner will be provided and cheap drinks will be available. The new clubrooms are off Sturt Drive at Flinders University (look for the sign). Special $10 2005 membership prices are available on the night. Please book via email at [email protected] so that they can cater correctly. Congratulations to the Flinders University Underwater Club which has just made the move into brand new custom-built clubrooms which are conveniently located on campus at Flinders Uni. The club have been moving between basements and rental properties off campus for 15 years, and have finally secured permanent facilities, located at the Sturt Campus at Flinders University. With a custom-built tank fill station, secure storage for hire equipment, ample room for the club’s dive boats and a social area, the new clubrooms are shaping up well. Currently averaging

around 90 members each year, FUUC are looking forward to even higher levels of participation with the new facilities and better location, by both students and the general public. Club President, James Manna invites you to pay them a visit, have drink and a snag and check out the new rooms. General information on the club and details of the new location are available at: http://underwater.flindersclubs.asn.au/ . WHYALLA DIVE CLUB’S DOLPHIN CALF RESCUE Congratulations to the Whyalla Dive Club members who helped to disentangle a four-month-old bottlenose dolphin calf from metres of 30lb fishing line in the Whyalla marina in September. Port Lincoln's Department of Environment & Heritage commenced a rescue operation assisted by a local net fisherman and the Whyalla Dive Club members. The dolphin calf's mother is said to be one of a number of dolphins that often follow boats in to the Whyalla marina. CORAL REEF DAMAGED BY RAINBOW WARRIOR II Greenpeace’s flagship the Rainbow Warrior II which visited Port Adelaide this year has caused damage to a coral reef in the central Philippines. The 55m-schooner ran aground at the Tubbatah Reef Marine Park on 31st October. The area is a world heritage site. Greenpeace was in the area to promote climate change awareness and was ironically calling for reefs to be saved. The environmental organization apologised for the blunder. It was fined $9480 for the incident. Inaccurate navigational charts provided by the Philippine Government were being blamed for causing the Rainbow Warrior II to slice through a reef formation. DISCOVERY OF THE SS QUEENSLAND Neville Skinner says to visit http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/splash-andtreasure/2005/10/16/1129401144965.html?oneclick=true to read about the latest media on Southern Ocean Exploration's discovery of the SS Queensland (“Divers put lost passenger steamer in the picture” by Melissa Fyfe, October 17, 2005). Shipwreck hunters looking for a wartime submarine off Wilsons Promontory instead found an international passenger steamer that had sunk nearly 130 years before - the 99m SS Queensland which left Melbourne on 3rd August 1876. She was struck by the SS Barrabool at full speed, stem on, and right amidships on the starboard side. Suffering a hole in her side, the Queensland sank, stern-first. The ship is now encrusted corals, but much of it is still intact. The divers have found lots of artefacts but, under Commonwealth law, the Queensland's booty must stay where it settled. Heritage Victoria is concerned that looters may steal the artefacts so the wreck's exact location will remain a secret. Neville says that there is a photo gallery of the site on-line but you have to register with The Age website to get access... http://www.theage.com.au/ (SS Queensland dive site). Other sites about the SS Queensland are: - Shipwreck treasure and SS Queensland. NATIONAL SYSTEM FOR PREVENTION & MANAGEMENT OF MARINE PEST INCURSIONS The Australian Government is developing a National System for the Prevention and Management of Marine Pest Incursions. Several States, including SA, have already signed an Intergovernmental Agreement, which sets out a framework for managing ballast water and biofouling to significantly reduce the risk of marine pests invading Australia’s waters. For further information about the National System visit www.daff.gov.au/invasivemarinespecies , http://www.maff.gov.au/releases/05/05084WTJbackgrouder.doc or www.deh.gov.au/coasts/imps/index.html . Andrew Johnson is the Manager of the Invasive Marine Species Program and he can be contacted on 02 6272 4975 or at [email protected] . Following SA's recent signing on to the intergovernmental agreement on the implementation of the National System for the Prevention and Management of Marine Pest Incursions, the Primary Industries and Resources SA Fisheries Division appointed

Vic Neverauskas as Manager for Marine Biosecurity Policy. Vic will represent SA on the National Introduced Marine Pests Coordinating Group (NIMPCG). For more information on marine pests in SA visit the PIRSA website at: http://www.pir.sa.gov.au/pages/fisheries/environmental/intro_pests.htm:sectID=1983&tempID=1 or contact Vic Neverauskas, Program Manager Marine Biosecurity, on 8226-2873 or via E-mail at [email protected] . DREDGING AT PORT GILES A new deep-sea port at Port Giles on the Yorke Peninsula is in its final stages. Deeper draft vessels such as grain ships are expected to be able to use the port soon. The Port Giles dredging project has removed some 107,000 cubic metres of marine habitat at a cost of some $5½m. SAMSON FISH SPAWNING AGGREGATION Our January news sheet reported a Samson fish spawning aggregation that occurred near Rottnest Island (WA) just before last Christmas. The aggregation was based around an old wreck. The Samson fish were said to weigh from 20-45 kilograms (120-160 cm in length). The water at the wreck is between 100 and 110 metres deep and the Samson fish were up to 30 metres deep. Video footage of the aggregation was taken as part of a Fisheries Research & Development Corporation (FRDC) funded project looking at the vulnerability of spawning aggregations. Andrew Rowland from Recfishwest and Murdoch University is studying Samson fish for his PhD. Almost 2500 Samson fish were caught and tagged. Details about the event can be found in the April 2005 issue of R&D News, which is included in the winter edition of “Southern Fisheries” magazine. You may be able to find the video footage of the Samson fish spawning at www.frdc.com.au . DRAFT RECOVERY PLAN FOR AUSTRALIAN SEA LION Submissions for a Draft Recovery Plan for the Australian Sea Lion recently released for public comment close at 5pm Monday 2nd January 2006. Details of the recovery plan are available at: http://www.deh.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/recovery/public-comment/index.html . Source: EPBC Notice No. 225 www.wwf.org.au/epbc . The Australian sea lion, Neophoca cinerea, is the only species of sea lion endemic to Australia. The species was listed as threatened (vulnerable) under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) on 14th February 2005. The Draft Recovery Plan addresses the statutory requirements of the EPBC Act. It identifies targeted actions that will assist the recovery of the species. The draft plan is supported by a non-statutory, peer reviewed Issues Paper, which describes the biology, threats and conservation status of the species. Comments should be sent to the Director, Migratory and Marine Species Section, Department of Environment and Heritage, GPO Box 787, Canberra ACT 2601 (or Email: [email protected] or Fax: (02) 6274 2455). SA MARINE PROTECTED AREAS The South Australian Parliament's Environment, Resources and Development Committee has released its report on Marine Protected Areas. The full Parliamentary Environment Resources and Development Committee Marine Protected Areas report is available at http://www.parliament.sa.gov.au/committees/documents/EnviroResDev/public_documents/Com pleted%20Inquiries/54%20Report%20-%20Marine%20Protected%20Areas/MPA%20report.pdf James Brook says that there won’t be much progress on SA MPAs until after the State election in March 2006. New legislation will be drawn up before new MPAs are declared progressively.

WHITE SHARKS COUNTING SCHEME The Conservation Council of SA has launched “White Sharks Count,” an Internet-based system that allows sharks to be tracked around the world. The aims of the program are conservation, community education and public safety. Under the program the CCSA will record Great Whites in SA waters. They will gather information through a range of reporting options including a network of local contacts across Eyre Peninsula, web-based reporting and by phone through Fishwatch (phone 1800 065 522). Anyone who sees a shark is asked to report the sighting to Fishwatch or to Dr Kate Rodda on 8683 2555, Lester Marshall on 0429 855 021, or online at www.ccsa.asn.au/wsc . For more information visit: http://www.ccsa.asn.au/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=422&Itemid=112 . DIVE TORCH SUPPLIERS Fortune Electronic Australia P/L has informed us that they supply LED head lights and diving torches. They are offering readers of “Underwater” 15% discount off of Fronta Compact Water Sports dive torches (RRP $34.95) plus a free scuba armband and free shipping within Australia. These little torches are 105mm long and 40mm diameter. They have a single O-ring seal, wrist straps and two AA batteries are included. They are rated to 30m and come in 4 or 6 ultra bright white LEDs. They are only available by visiting www.Fronta.com . BLUEPRINT DRAFTED TO PROTECT OCEANS Scientists are mapping out a plan for a network of marine parks to save the world's oceans from fish stock depletion and growing pollution. Visit http://edition.cnn.com/2005/TECH/science/10/25/environment.oceans.reut/index.html for more details. UPDATE ON THE MARY ROSE Thanks to Neville Skinner, we reported in last month’s news sheet that the Mary Rose Trust was carrying out what could have been the last set of archaeological dives on the wreck of the Mary Rose. We said that one of the principle aims of the last set of archaeological dives was to raise the stem of the ship. Neville now reports that SBS channel recently televised a brilliant documentary on the discovery and recovery of the Mary Rose’s hull. Neville believes the Mary Rose Trust raised the stern last month and he says that the evening news in October showed the raising of the ship’s anchor which was in good condition. Neville passes on the following details from the Mary Rose website: - "The Mary Rose had a keel length of 32m and a breadth of 11.66m. Her length at the waterline is estimated to have been 38.5m and her draught 4.6m. The surviving height of the ship is 13m, measured on the starboard side at the after-castle. The weight of the ship increased during her lifetime, she was rated at 500 tons in 1512 and at 700 tons when she sank. The Mary Rose underwent two recorded major refits, one in Portsmouth in 1527-28 and the other in the Thames around 1536, it is assumed her burden was increased to 700 tons during this last refit. The ship appears to have been skeleton built and carvel planked from her inception. There is no available evidence to suggest that she was converted from a clinker to a carvel built ship during her career. The keel is constructed from three pieces of elm, scarfed together and bolted to the keelson which sits on top of the floor timbers. The keelson is oak, again consisting of three sections scarfed together, with the main mast step acting as the central sector. Just behind the mast step there is a circular hole by the keelson to make room for the lower end of the pump." For more details visit: - http://www.maryrose.org/project/dive05a.htm . Thanks Neville.

NEWS & UPDATES FROM DIVERS NEEDED We still want to hear from all recreational divers regarding good and bad diving experiences, all things that you like or don’t like, things that are broken or need fixing. DIVERS EMERGENCY SERVICE Contact the Divers Emergency Service (DES) on 1800 088 200. To call the international direct call number from overseas, the international access number for the country of location must be dialled, followed by 61 8 8212 9242. 2006 EVENTS CORALWATCH WORKSHOP The 3rd annual CoralWatch workshop will be held at Heron Island Research Station, Queensland from Thursday 5th to Saturday 7th January 2006. Contact Ian Leiper, CoralWatch Research Assistant, Vision Touch and Hearing Research Centre, University of Queensland, QLD 4072 for more details. His email address is [email protected] . Visit the web site at www.coralwatch.org . SHARING THE FISH CONFERENCE The Sharing the Fish – Allocation Issues in Fisheries Management 2006 Conference is being held at the Esplanade Hotel, Fremantle, Western Australia from 26th February to 2nd March 2006. Visit http://www.fishallocation.com/ for more details. NATIONAL SHELL SHOW The 6th Australian National Shell Show & Conference is being held at the Ryde Eastwood Leagues Club, 117 Ryedale Rd, West Ryde NSW 2114 on the 11th &12th March 2006. Visit www.sydneyshellclub.net for more details. COAST TO COAST 2006 Australia's National Coastal Conference, Coast to Coast 2006, will be held 22nd-25th May 2006 at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre. According to the Marine and Coastal Community Network’s “Wetstuff News” dated 7th September 2005: “The need for sustainable coastal and marine use, planning and management is increasingly hard to ignore. In and around Australia we are seeing more natural disasters, higher demand to live on the coast, more certainty in climate change research, continuous battles with weeds, new marine pests and dwindling fish populations. Coast to Coast will focus debate across the full range of coastal and marine issues being considered at national, state, regional and local levels. The 2006 Conference program will feature a number of local and international speakers, several concurrent sessions, poster presentations and field trips. The Conference is expected to attract over 400 delegates from across Australia and overseas and provides an opportunity to meet and extend contacts. Delegates are expected to include Commonwealth, State and Local Governments, Natural Resource Management Regions, leading research and education organisations, coastal and marine industries, coastal and marine consultants, managers, planners and engineers, NGOs, user groups and many other community organisations. For more information on the conference, visit http://www.iceaustralia.com/coasttocoast2006/index.html .” For more information email [email protected] . AUSTRALIAN DIVE SHOW The Australian Dive Show will be held in Melbourne from 20th to 22nd October 2006. The Show will also feature the OZTeK5 Conference. More details will be advised later. In the meantime, any enquiries can be directed to [email protected] or 02 9971 2559. The Scuba Divers Federation of SA is a member of the following: Sport SA (SA Sports Federation Inc.) Recreation SA

Recreation SA’s Adventure Activity Standards Working Committee for Snorkelling, Scuba and Aquatic Wildlife Tours SARFAC (SA Recreational Fishing Advisory Council) Fleurieu Reef Management Committee (Ex-HMAS Hobart) TRAIL COMMITTEES - SA Trails Coordinating Committee (Office of Recreation & Sport) and Port Noarlunga Reef Underwater Trail South Australian Trails The SDF’s sponsors are: Baird Bay Charters & Ocean Eco Tours SA Tall Ships Inc. 8341 2004 [email protected] Cape Jaffa Caravan Park Contact the Federation’s Secretary on [email protected] to be included on the mailing list for this electronic news sheet. The SDF supports both Reefwatch & Dragonsearch Disclaimer – The opinions expressed by authors of material in this news sheet are not necessarily those of the Federation.