$330 million Eyre Peninsula desalination plant construction approved
The construction of a desalination plant on the Eyre Peninsula has been approved but public consultation remains open surrounding the site sitting entirely on Barngarla land.
Building work can begin on a desalination plant at Billy Lights Point after it received planning approval from the government, with early works set to begin before the end of the year, according to planning minister Nick Champion.
The $330 million project aims to provide the Eyre Peninsula with a reliable water source, supplementing its current Uley South groundwater supply.
The plant is expected to produce 16 megalitres of drinking water daily by mid-2026, with expansion capacity of up to 24 megalitres daily.
According to the Eyre Peninsula Landscape Board, a review of the area’s Water Allocation Plan is likely to recommend a significant reduction in the amount of water that SA Water is licenced to extract from groundwater sources as of July 2026.
There are around 35,000 SA Water customers on the Eyre Peninsula, and approximately 75 per cent of the region’s drinking water is sourced from groundwater basins.
“There are no alternatives, the Eyre Peninsula’s water security is under serious threat,” planning minister Nick Champion said.
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However, the desalination plant sits entirely within the native title boundary of the Barngarla People.
The area intersects one Aboriginal site recorded with Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation’s (AAR) archives, with other archaeological sites such as fish traps also within 300m of the area.
Because of this, SA Water must be authorised by the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs Kyam Maher to potentially damage or disturb Aboriginal sites or objects.
Maher cannot approve an application without considering the views of a range of interested Aboriginal parties.
Public consultation is opened on the matter, with the state government asking Traditional Owners and Aboriginal parties with an interest in the area to give their input.
This consultation remains open until January 10, with an Aboriginal Community Consultation Meeting scheduled for December 16.
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The local native title body the Barngarla Determination Aboriginal Corporation has previously spoken out against the plant, with chair Sonja Dare saying in April that while she supported the construction of a plant in the region the Billy Lights Point location would damage sacred fish traps that provide irreplaceable ancestral connections.
Dare said at that time she intended to pursue “all legal and political avenues available to subject SA Water to independent scrutiny” if the planned site was not changed.
SA Water said there were no other viable location options that could be built before the expected available groundwater reduction.
A site selection committee had previously proposed Sleaford West as one potential site, but the government said it would have cost up to 50 per cent more than the estimated $330 million Billy Lights Point site.
Construction of the desalination plant will involve ground disturbing works including largescale earthworks, drilling under the coastal margin, seabed excavation, above-ground water pipeline installation, clearing native vegetation and more.
The government said the current design had been modified based on feedback from the community to include a trenchless construction method.
Pipes will also be up to a kilometre offshore to minimise impact on the marine environment.
“Billy Lights Point will deliver a climate-independent and sustainable drinking water source for the Eyre Peninsula,” Champion said.
“We are working to a tight deadline. We all want to avoid water restrictions and must deliver an alternative water supply by mid-2026.
“This Government doesn’t want to be responsible for farmers having to shoot livestock, and residents unable to drink tap water.”
Under the approval, 22 conditions were accepted including that Stormwater Management and Bushfire Management plans be prepared and final designs submitted to the planning minister.
SA Water operates 12 desalination plants across the state and is offering rebates to Eyre Peninsula customers with water-efficient appliances and household fixtures.
