About Point Lowly Peninsula
The Point Lowly Peninsula is the chosen destination for hundreds of thousands of Giant Australian Cuttlefish (Sepia apama), which gather there each winter to mate, lay their eggs and die. They favour the ocean’s rocky bottom from Black Point through to Backy Point, where geology has provided perfect structures for the animals to attach their eggs beneath. The water chemistry is critical to the success of the hatchlings, and despite 12 years of scientific visits, counting and close study, little is known about the animals migration movement to or from the breeding ground. Access to the breeding zone is already limited by the public exclusion zone surrounding the existing Santos Gas Fractionation facility- the only current or historically industrial structure on the peninsula. A much larger portion of the peninsula was zoned ‘Special Industry – Hydrocarbons’ back in the early 1980′s, and until now, has remained undeveloped.
Point Lowly Lighthouse & Cottages (Santos' refinery is visible behind, to the left)
Thirsty Work: BHP Billiton and the Olympic Dam mine expansion
The primary driver behind proposed further industrialisation near Point Lowly is the expansion of BHP Billiton’s Olympic Dam super-mine. The mine has an estimated working life of 100 years in total, and will allegedly extract 1 trillion dollars worth of minerals during that time. It will also leave a gaping hole one kilometre deep and 3 kilometres wide. There are immediate and grave environmental concerns about the impact of leaking mine tailings dams at the site, but that’s not likely to affect the marine ecology directly. Extracting copper, uranium, gold and silver from the site in the South Australian desert is thirsty work, and further expansion will require more water than ever. The mine currently extracts 35 megalitres of water from the finite Great Artesian Basin every day, and prior to the Indenture Act amendments of late 2011, did not pay a single penny for it. This has resulted in the drying of natural mound springs, and the suffering of indigenous heritage sites and ecological systems which depend on this water reaching the surface. The Great Artesian Basin is a national water resource, and water withdrawn from Olympic Dam has lowered the water table over 100 metres to date. BHP Billiton plans to increase the mine’s consumption to 42 megalitres (that’s 42 million litres) of GAB water daily, complementing it with water extracted from the Spencer Gulf, processed by a desalination plant on the Point Lowly Peninsula. The economic offerings of this super-mine’s spoils need to be considered in check with the value of Upper Spencer Gulf fish stocks. Unlike mineral depoits, fish populations are renewable if duely managed and protected and currently support lucrative commercial fisheries and growing ecotourism.
Giant Australian Cuttlefish (c) 2009 Silke Stuckenbrock - SilkePhoto
Life in the Upper Spencer Gulf
The health of the Upper Spencer Gulf is depended upon by a diverse and wonderful range of marine organisms, which in turn support coastal communities and lucrative wild and offshore farmed fisheries. The coast features mangroves, mudflats, rocky reefs, extensive seagrass meadows and delicate deep water sponge gardens. Cuttlefish breed there annually, as do Snapper, Prawns, Sharks and countless other under-researched species. Dolphins feed and frollick past Point Lowly daily, and sightings for visitors are almost guaranteed. Southern Right and Humpback Whales make seasonal visits, and can be watched from the shore, sometimes only hundreds of metres out.
A Red Anemone clings to the rock and feeds at Black Point, 2011
The Environmental Risks
- The most immediate risk to the environment in the Upper Spencer Gulf is the construction and operation of a desalination plant. The risks associated with desalination plant operation include the intake of micro-organisms, the outfall of hyper-saline solution, and the concentration of chemicals. You can find out more in our videos from oceanographer Jochen Kaempf.
- The additional industrial proposals will increase contaminants in the water and by their nature (an explosives production and diesel storage facility) are likely to create further exclusion zones for the purpose of ‘public safety’. These also limit the ability for scientific, tourism and Whyalla residents’ access to the region’s popular marine environment, annual cuttlefish aggregation and will compromise the area’s coastal beauty.
- The increase in proposed industrial activity on the peninsula has prompted a government plan to expand Port Bonython’s shipping facilities, and increase volumes of road and rail-based freight. The construction of an additional deep-water port is currently undergoing a 2 year feasibility study, announced in mid-2011. Independent experts and local knowledge have identified the location as sub-optimal due to the limited access to deep water. If plans proceed, work may require sea-floor dredging, disturbing the rocky reef habitat below and will increase throughput of ships. Shipping increases the submarine noise pollution (shown to harm squid, cuttlefish, whales and dolphins) and greatly increase the risk of invasive marine species entering the area’s delicate fish nurseries on or in the hulls of visiting vessels. There are also concerns about mobilising sediment in the water, due to the lack of draft (clearance beneath vessels) in the shipping lane to the proposed wharf.
Giant Australian Cuttlefish Couple (c) 2009 Silke Stuckenbrock - SilkePhoto
Immediate action
Concerned citizens, professionals and scientists need to band together and call for the Precautionary Principle to be enacted. The complexities of Upper Spencer Gulf’s water chemistry and ecology are only understood in a very limited capacity, and 2011 saw the Giant Cuttlefish aggregation population drop to just 10% of the previous year’s numbers. Pending developments proposed for the region must be suspended, until sufficient research has demonstrated that the impacts of these infrastructure projects will not harm this and other ailing fish populations. This action alone will prevent new pressures from impacting on the marine environment and associated industries. Poor decisions made by State Government have the potential to cause massive and irreversible damage to the fish nurseries of the region, contributing to the potential collapse of already dwindling wild fish stocks. The area has had its worst year for Snapper, and the Cuttlefish migration this year has alarm bells ringing… can we afford to risk further destruction? What about the lucrative commercial fisheries operating in the Spencer Gulf? How will they be effected? There a number of ways you can help protect this region, and you can find them on our Take Action! page.
A rare Wood White Butterfly at Point Lowly Lighthouse, 2011
The solutions
The initial problem at the source of our documentary film (currently in production) is BHP Billiton’s need for water at their Olympic Dam mine site. If this matter can be addressed with a more environmentally sensitive approach, we can stop the debate over Point Lowly’s industrialisation, and look at a range of alternative solutions. The West Coast of Eyre Peninsula has been identified as a rich and plentiful source of renewable energy (wind, hydro-electric and solar) and the coast affords access to fast moving currents in open ocean (unlike the Spencer Gulf’s closed system). If a desalination plant is required for the Olympic Dam expansion, then the west coast of Eyre Peninsula represents a nominal risk to the marine environment by comparison to the uncertainty risk associated with impacting fish nurseries of the Upper Spencer Gulf. A facility near Elliston could actually be powered entirely on renewable energy, according to independent experts. To date, BHP Billiton have devoted little energy and effort to reasonable consideration of alternatives. Their decision-making process is clearly being driven by three factors: immediate thirst, deep pockets and short arms. Similarly there are alternative locations for the Technical Ammonium Nitrate plant and export shipping facilities, and the whole precint would be better positioned away from one of South Australia’s environmental jewels. Many Whyalla locals, including the Alternative Ports Working Party are advocating a site at Mullaquana, south of Whyalla for this very purpose.
Stumpy-tailed Lizard on the Fenceline Track beside Santos, Stoney Point 2011
Government’s Role
We live in a democratic society in Australia (by legislation and in principle) and our water resources are the property of the Australian people. It is not our Government’s role to rule us, nor to make decisions on our behalf without appropriate consultation. The current South Australian Government has demonstrated a prevailing practise of ‘Announce and Defend’ when it comes to regional development decision-making. Government listens closely to the corporate sector, eager to respond to the promise of economic growth. Meanwhile, it pays cursory attention to the concerns of independent experts, critics and others who apply the checks, balances and offer alternative suggestions. We need to inform the South Australian Government of our concerns and demand better representation. Our water quality is not something to be messed with… and time is running out!
Kangaroo on the rocks near Black Point, 2011
The road ahead
State and Federal environmental approvals were granted to the Olympic Dam mine expansion in October of 2011. Since then, public concern and demands for further research and scrutiny have persisted, including several direct legal challenges of the approvals themselves. It is our view that for our state to meet its goal of fostering sustainable development, we need to urge our State Government to consider the mining boom as part of an inter-connected web of South Australian interests. We must convince Premier Rann’s successor, Jay Weatherill that we need a better deal for Spencer Gulf – for our fisheries, coastal economies, regional centres and of course, the Giant Australian Cuttlefish!
