EP desalination info centre to open in Port Lincoln

From 3 April, SA Water’s Eyre Peninsula desalination project team will be available at a dedicated information centre in Port Lincoln, set up for the community to learn more and ask questions about the planned desalination plant for the region.

Earlier this month, the State Government accepted SA Water’s recommendation of Billy Lights Point as the preferred site for the desalination plant, with this multi-million-dollar investment to provide a new reliable, climate-independent source of drinking water, to largely replace existing groundwater sources and the River Murray.

SA Water’s General Manager of Sustainable Infrastructure Amanda Lewry said the centre in Liverpool Street will be open for visitors each weekday between 10am and 5.30pm, with appointments also available outside of these nominated hours.

“We understand the substantial community interest in this project and encourage people to drop into the centre at a convenient time to get up-to-date information and an opportunity to take a fresh look at the facts,” Amanda said.

“The opening of the centre is also a pre-cursor to a series of community information sessions we plan to hold across the entire Eyre Peninsula during April and May, and we’ll be sharing more details on these soon.

“As we have throughout the planning for this project to date, we are committed to working with, and listening to the community, and beyond this next stage of engagement, there will be many more opportunities to get involved and provide feedback.

“This includes through the comprehensive approval process, where regulators like the Environment Protection Authority will assess our detailed plans and designs against construction and operational requirements which are in place to limit any impacts from the plant on the local environment.

“Once appropriate approvals are received, we will be looking for as many locals as possible to be involved in the construction of this new facility, and that’s estimated to be up to 230 jobs.

“We know drinking water security has been a growing concern for Eyre Peninsula communities, and with the science telling us local groundwater sources are under increasing stress, it’s clear we need to act now.

“Billy Lights Point provides the quickest solution to ensure long-term water security, with a considerable amount of work to date confirming the environmental, logistical, and financial viability of this location.”

The Government has also indicated Infrastructure SA will undertake a concurrent process to determine whether the Northern Water Supply project can meet supply needs for the Peninsula, and SA Water will continue to play a role in those discussions.

For more information on the Eyre Peninsula desalination project, visit watertalks.sawater.com.au/getthefacts.

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