Question: Moonta Mines

6 May, 2026

The Hon. R.A. SIMMS (14:46): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before addressing a question without notice to the Minister for Climate, Environment and Water on the topic of the National Trust of South Australia.

Leave granted.

The Hon. R.A. SIMMS: On 23 February, the National Trust closed the Moonta Mines Museum, tourist railway, Sweet Shop and Miners Cottage, citing operational changes. The National Trust then disbanded the Moonta Branch Executive Committee, with control of the sites to be managed by the Adelaide head office. I understand 110 volunteers were left in the dark and learned about the sudden closure from signs displayed on the sites when they turned up for their shifts. The sites were scheduled to reopen for the Easter weekend, but since the scheduled reopening the sites have reopened in a limited capacity only on weekends.

I now understand that the former Moonta Branch Executive Committee has initiated legal action in the Supreme Court to review the decision of the National Trust to suspend the Moonta branch operations. There are also reports that the trust has been auditing historic items, including antiques, paintings, furniture and old farm machinery, and I understand that, in the past, key assets have been sold to private collectors. My question to the Minister for Climate, Environment and Water is:

1. Is the minister concerned about the potential for historic items to be sold to private collectors as part of a fire sale by the National Trust?

2. Can the minister advise how much historical memorabilia and properties have been sold by the National Trust over the last 20 years and at what monetary value?

3. What action has the minister taken in relation to the controversies surrounding the National Trust and Moonta mines

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE (Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Minister for Autism) (14:47): I thank the honourable member for his question, and I share in his disappointment at how we have all found ourselves in this situation. As the honourable member is aware, the National Trust operates independently from government, in accordance with its own rules and within the government structure that is laid out within the act. It is set separately from government. Therefore, the minister has very little control over what can actually be done here. They are a separate entity from government.

It is really disappointing that it has got to the point that it has, where we are now seeing action taken by the local community to go through the Supreme Court. We have highlighted our frustrations through correspondence to the National Trust, that both parties need to come to the table, sit down and work this through because there is too much to lose here. We want our local communities and our national assets to be able to thrive, and the National Trust has been there to do just that. It has been there to be trusted to look after them. I think there is much that needs to be done in this space, where these two parties need to come together to sit down and work through this.

As a government, we have been working through what other options are available. The act that this is based in is from1955. It is an old act in how it is actually recognised.

We are looking across government, but also we are keeping our communication lines open. I have met with members of the Moonta Mines trust. We have been to Moonta and also had those conversations with people while we were in Moonta. We have also met with the National Trust and had conversations there, and also with council. We will continue those and continue to see where there is a path forward, but really this whole responsibility and this onus comes back to the National Trust to better work through this, as they are separate from government.