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A WILLUNGA High programintroduced at the start of theyear is ensuring students areready to milk the dairy indus-try for all it is worth once theyleave school.

Principal Anthony van Ruit-en says the addition of thecalves to the school’s agricul-

Willunga High School students Beth and Hayden with calves as part of their agriculture studies. PICTURE: AAP/KERYN STEVENS

BUSINESS is booming at theHarbour Kiosk since the WestBeach boat ramp was closedlate last month.

Rob Mackay, who owns thekiosk at the O’Sullivan BeachBoat Ramp, said the increasewas “immediately obvious”following the closure of theramp at Adelaide Shores.

“There’s been at least a 20per cent increase in our salesat the kiosk,” Mr Mackay said.

“I’ve definitely seen somestrange boats in the area thatwere probably going to theAdelaide Shores boat rampbefore it closed.”

Mr MacKay, who boughtthe business in 2009, collectsboat ramp fees on behalf ofOnkaparinga Council.

The Environment Depart-ment closed the AdelaideShores boat ramp because of abuild-up of seaweed.

Boaties have been forced totravel more than 19km to useramps at O’Sullivan Beachand North Haven.

SA Sea Rescue Operations

Sebastian Moore

O’SULLIVAN BEACH

Hands-on experience on the farmture program had given stu-dents in Years 11 and 12 theopportunity to study the sub-ject as part of their SACE.

“I think it’s a really import-ant thing for our students toget involved in,” Mr van Ruitensays. “When I look at our re-gion it’s all about wine, tourismand agriculture so offering aclear pathway into the dairy

industry is important.” Whilethe school’s other agricultureprograms that focus on sheepand steers are wound up afterthe Royal Adelaide Show, thedairy calf program will be year-round.

Year 11 student HaydenBruggemann, 16, has been in-volved in nurturing one of twocalves donated to the school by

a local farmer at the start of theyear, when they were 10 daysold. “We would feed themwith artificial milk when theywere really young and then wetried to get them eating grainsand pellets about three or fourmonths in,” Hayden says.

“I like practical things sobeing able to be hands-on withthe animals has been great.”

EDUCATION

Ramping up at kiosk

Captain Frank Miller said lastweek the response times torescue people from WestBeach would be blown out by45 minutes because of theramp’s closure.

“When West Beach isclosed we would have to re-spond either from O’SullivanBeach or North Haven andthat is a long way,” Mr Millersaid.

“This is the longest it hasbeen closed ... this is the fourthclosure this year.”

The department’s coastalmanager, Murray Townsend,said crews had already re-moved a large amount of sea-weed from the West Beachboat ramp.

However, he said stormyweather had halted dredging.

Adelaide Shores CEO KateWilliams said public safetywas paramount and she wasunable to reopen the rampuntil the department hadcleared the seaweed.

If you find yourself or know of someone else in trouble in this area, you can contact the SA Sea Rescue operations team by calling 8295 5072.

Wednesday, September 20, 2017 Southern Times MessengerNews

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