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Eyre Peninsula desalination plant has no comprehensive Aboriginal heritage survey

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Billy Lights Point was approved by the SA government as the site for the desalination plant. (ABC Eyre Peninsula: Jodie Hamilton)

In short:

The Barngarla people have expressed immense disappointment at the approval of Billy Lights Point as the site for the Eyre Peninsula's desalination plant.

A comprehensive survey of the area for Aboriginal heritage significance has not been conducted.

What's next? 

Construction is slated to begin in March to have the plant up and running by mid-2026.

Traditional owners have slammed the South Australian government's process for approving a site for Port Lincoln's $330 million desalination plant.

The plant will be built at Billy Lights Point at the entrance to Porter Bay on the outskirts of Port Lincoln, despite significant community opposition.

The issue is complicated by the urgent need to address extremely low levels of underground water in the region, where almost 28,000 water users face a supply risk.

The Barngarla people are native title holders of much of the Lower Eyre Peninsula, including Billy Lights Point, where there are historical fish traps.

In a statement, the Barngarla Determination Aboriginal Corporation (BDAC) says Billy Lights Point is not the right location for the desalination plant.

"We reserve the right to take further action we determine necessary to prevent this ill-conceived development from proceeding," BDAC said.

"Billy Lights Point is the wrong location given the risk it poses to the significant heritage of our people and the associated marine ecology. 

Eyre Peninsula desalination plant has no comprehensive Aboriginal heritage survey

Barngarla elder Aunty Lavinia Richards at Billy Lights Point. (ABC Eyre Peninsula: Jodie Hamilton)

"The location contains a significant fish trap complex, which is one of the last surviving pieces of our heritage around Port Lincoln and provides a significant and irreplaceable connection to our ancestors. 

"We are alarmed that SA Water, with the support of the minister, has disregarded the overwhelming community opposition to the location of this plant and instead blindly pursued an option with reckless indifference to how it will damage our heritage."

In its statement, BDAC expressed serious concerns that the project was approved without a comprehensive survey to determine where the greatest impact on Aboriginal heritage would occur. 

Eyre Peninsula desalination plant has no comprehensive Aboriginal heritage survey

The Eyre Peninsula's underground water levels are low. (ABC News: Mark Leonardi)

Project designed to 'minimise impacts'

SA Water has lodged an application for approval with the Office of Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation. 

The application shows that an external firm was hired to give advice on heritage management, but not to carry out a comprehensive review of the heritage of the desalination plant's proposed location. 

Archaeologists from the firm inspected some of Billy Lights Point as well as some of the drinking water pipeline corridor in September 2021 without any traditional owners present. 

Eyre Peninsula desalination plant has no comprehensive Aboriginal heritage survey

Underground water shortages could affect about 30,000 Eyre Peninsula residents. (ABC Eyre Peninsula: Bernadette Clarke)

An application from SA Water for heritage approval notes that "despite efforts by SA Water to engage with traditional owners" a comprehensive cultural heritage survey of the area at Billy Lights Point has not occurred. 

"In the absence of a heritage survey of the application area, the applicant says it has designed the project in a way to avoid or minimise impacts to known Aboriginal heritage and 'cultural values', based on information available," it said.

When approval was given on November 27, Housing and Urban Development Minister Nick Champion made an assurance that historical fish traps would not be impacted. 

Eyre Peninsula desalination plant has no comprehensive Aboriginal heritage survey

Nick Champion has assured the public that historical fish traps will not be affected by the desalination plant. (ABC News: Carl Saville)

His office told the ABC that SA Water has designed the plant to avoid impacts to fish traps, and had taken deliberate measures to remove the potential for coastal and intertidal areas to be affected. 

The Eyre Peninsula lost Barngarla fish traps in 1985 when the Port Lincoln Marina was built.

Eyre Peninsula desalination plant has no comprehensive Aboriginal heritage survey

Historical fish traps were lost in the 1980s when the Port Lincoln Marina was built. (ABC News: Amelia Costigan)

Construction of the desalination plant is slated to begin in March with the aim of having the plant up and running by mid-2026.

An Aboriginal community consultation meeting is being held on Monday night at the Port Lincoln Hotel. 

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