Eyre Peninsula rocket launch site wins environmental approval
An Eyre Peninsula rocket launch site has received federal environmental approval, amid concerns about the impact of land clearing on two endangered bird species.
South Australian company Southern Launch yesterday received federal environmental approval for the development of its Whalers Way Orbital Launch Complex, located in a conservation zone around 25km southwest of Port Lincoln.
The development, which still requires final approval from state Planning Minister Nick Champion, was yesterday approved by federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act.
The proposed complex would include the building of two launch pads which would be available for hire by domestic and international bodies, allowing access to polar and sun-synchronous orbits which are key for weather and climate change monitoring.
The environmental approval imposes several conditions, including a restriction on clearing the habitats of the endangered Southern Emu-wren and Mallee Whipbird, with no more than 23.4 hectares allowed to be cleared.
The approval also specifies the maximum number of launches that may take place in one year, with noise level restrictions and requirements around launching when Southern Right or Blue whales are near the area.
Southern Launch CEO Lloyd Damp said the company had invested “significant amounts of time and money to understand the natural environment we will be operating in”.
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“Southern Launch is confident the SA government recognises the significant benefits that an orbital launch facility will bring to our state,” he said.
“South Australia is home to an incredible local space industry and the approval for the Whalers Way Orbital Launch Complex is the final piece of the puzzle in helping our state emerge as a key player in the global space industry which is set to be worth $1.8 trillion by 2035.”
The facility would be on predominantly undeveloped vegetated land, with Southern Launch saying in its Environmental Impact Statement that the majority of the allotment would “remain undisturbed”.
An overview map of the Southern Launch Whalers Way site area. Screenshot: Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water.
In 2023 the federal government listed Whalers Way as an area of habitat “critical to the survival” of the Eyre Peninsula Southern Emu-wren, in conservation advice which stated, “habitat critical to the survival of the subspecies must not be destroyed or degraded”.
Several groups have spoken out against the development due to its impact on the habitat of the two endangered birds, including the Australian Conservation Foundation, Conservation Council SA, Birds SA and the Nature Conservation Society of South Australia.
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Australian Conservation Foundation nature campaigner Darcie Carruthers said there are believed to be “about 750 Eyre Peninsula Southern Emu-wrens left in existence”.
“An important population of this endangered subspecies is directly in the path of Whalers Way,” Carruthers said.
“It is hard to believe a Minister for the Environment would allow habitat that has been described as ‘critical’ for the survival of an endangered species to be destroyed for rocket launch pads, blast walls and bunkers.
“There is no excuse for this project to be built on top of threatened species’ habitat. A pair of tiny emu-wrens typically lives in just one hectare of good quality habitat. This project will flatten nearly 24 hectares of their home.”
The area is habitat to the endangered Southern Emu-wren. Photo: Good Living
A spokesperson for the federal Environment Department said the decision was based in law.
“The Albanese Government has to make decisions in accordance with the facts and the national environment law – that’s what happens on every project, and that’s what’s happened here,” they said.
“The Government will continue to consider each project on a case-by-case basis, under the law.”
SA Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young said Plibersek’s approval was “an insult to locals who clearly said they don’t want rockets threatening their environment, or tourism and local industries, including fishing”.
“The Environment Minister has one job: to protect the environment, but her decision today will trash this pristine part of South Australia and threaten endangered wildlife and animals,” she said.
“This decision shows the Albanese Government is not genuine in its pledge to stop wildlife extinction and habitat destruction. You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to appreciate that rocket testing at Whalers Way is bonkers.
“Space has a place in SA, but a rocket launch site bank in the middle of a delicate ecosystem and against the wishes of this vibrant coastal community is not it.”
Of 261 public submissions made on the project in 2021, 131 supported the development and 119 were opposed.
