Protestors not anti-development, just anti-stupidity

BHP Billion desalination experts commented that one of the major reasons for constructing a desalination plant at Point Lowly was to enable the supply of desalinated water to be made available to residents of Whyalla and since this no longer planned, one of the main reasons for the Point Lowly desalination plant no longer exists, although they said that the government could change its mind. Point Lowly was one of three locations considered for desalination plants, the others being Port Augusta and Ceduna/Elliston. Port Augusta was rejected on environmental grounds due to the release of hyper-saline water into conservation areas to allow for evaporation and the Ceduna/Elliston was rejected, as it required an extra 80Km of pipeline costing around $80 million dollars.

Point Lowly was selected because of its proximity to the pipeline to supply water the regional cities and suitable currents for dispersal of the hyper-saline discharge water. Save Point Lowly protesters say that since the it is not going to be used to supply water to the regional cities and given the environmental significance of the top of the gulf, the desalination plant should be constructed on the west coast of the Eyre Peninsula.

A pristine Point Lowly is essential to the new image of Whyalla.

They argue that this is Whyalla’s tourist and recreation area and it is essential that no further industrial development takes place there. Whyalla’s image, they say, is a dirty industrial city with the One Steel works and new industrial estate dominating the entrance to Whyalla, so it is essential that Whyalla has a clean untouched area if the city is ever to shake the dirty industrial city image.

“If there is to be a desalination plant, we want to see it on the West Coast, powered by an on site wind farm and with a deep ocean outfall for the hyper-saline waste water” said Dr. Andrew Melville-Smith “We are not anti-development, just anti-stupidity and putting a desalination plant at Point Lowly is plain stupid”.

He went on to say that the top of the gulf is the most environmentally sensitive part of the gulf “This is the area when the water is the slowest and warmest” he said “Where the sea grass beds are and where the fish breed.” Putting industry here in the 21st century he said is plain stupid “We’ve come along way since our parents put in the Santos plant at Point Lowly” he said “We know better now and it is about time we moved to the 21st century and did the right thing for our children”. Save Point Lowly protester Sarah Bradbury says “There has to be a better location for the desal plant” she said “They can’t stick it in the middle of our recreation area where there are lots of aquaculture farms” She feels it will have a tremendous impact on Point Lowly.

Point Lowly resident Fred Piden commented that all the long-term studies done by BHP Billiton only concentrate on Point Lowly “Why don’t they look at the West Coast because the distance covered by the pipeline isn’t that much different?” he said “And that would leave the traditional recreation area to be preserved as a recreational area”. Fred feels that with the cost of the Olympic Dam expansion, the extra cost of putting a desalination plant on the West Coast would be minimal. Whyalla resident, Jeff Dempsey, feels that the desalination plant will have a dire effect on the snapper and cuttlefish at Point Lowly “I don't want the desal plant to go ahead because of the aquaculture”. He said, “My son got apprentice of the year out there and that's his livelihood”

Lights back on

The Whyalla Council has turn the Point Lowly Lighthouse light back on with a dimmer yellow light