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Volume 12, Thursday 28th September, 2006
Water for upper north Written by Stuart Deed BHP Billiton’s proposed desalination plant at Port Bonython in the upper Spencer Gulf might receive assistance from the Australian taxpayer. The South Australian Government has expressed an interest in the desalination plant to supply drinking water for 100,000 residents of the upper Spencer Gulf and Eyre Peninsula regions. The desalination plant is planned to supply an additional 120 megalitres of water a day for the Olympic Dam mine. If State Government money was added to the project, substantial pressure could be removed from the River Murray. However, BHP Billiton spokesman Richard Yeeles was adamant that any funding from the State Government would not be used to assist the Olympic Dam Mine. “We (BHP Billiton) have made it very clear that the company has not asked for any funding in relation to the water desalination component of the Olympic Dam Mine. “The State Government is looking at providing some funding for the desalination plant, which would allow them to supply water for the northern region of the state,” he said. A Memorandum of Understanding between the State Government and BHP Billiton was signed earlier this year. The memorandum states: It is the intention of the parties that there shall be no subsidy (either directly or indirectly) by the State to BHP Billiton for any aspect of its operations and responsibilities in relation to the proposed desal plant, subject to the Government’s requirements of the desal plant not adding material cost to BHP Billiton. Premier Mike Rann said the benefits of cooperation between the State Government and BHP Billiton would be evident for the whole state, not just residents of the upper north. “We have been working with BHP Billiton over a long period of time to investigate desalination options which demonstrates the commitment of both BHP Billiton and the Government to preserving South Australia’s water
resources. “One of the greatest benefits of such a plant is that it secures the long-term sustainability of the Great Artesian Basin,” Mr Rann said. “The provision of high quality water from the proposed plant for the communities of the Upper Spencer Gulf and Eyre Peninsula will also see vast quantities of water returned to the River Murray – as much as 30 million litres a day,” he said. While still in the draft stage, the desalination plant is expected to cost BHP Billiton approximately $300 million to build. Another $400 million would be required to build the 330km pipeline from Port Bonython to Olympic Dam. Water for the Olympic Dam Mine is drawn from the Great Artesian Basin at a rate of 35 megalitres per day, which is insufficient for the expansion of the mine. A memorandum of understanding has been signed by the South Australian Government and BHP Billiton to study the possibility of a large scale water desalination plant. To supply the necessary water to Olympic Dam, the plant would need to draw 320 megalitres of seawater, which would processed via ‘reverse osmosis’. Reverse osmosis is the most common method of desalinating water and works by pumping seawater, under pressure, through a membrane to filter out salt and other impurities. The waste product, some 200 megalitres, would be returned to the ocean as brine – with approximately twice the salt content of normal seawater. The brine is expected to dilute rapidly once returning to the gulf. An Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for all aspects of the Olympic Dam expansion is being conducted by ARUP HLA and has already identified a number of potential problems for the project. Detailed studies of the potential impacts of the desalination plant on the marine environment and ecology are underway, especially regarding the cuttlefish and prawn breeding grounds near Port Bonython.
Back to school in Andamooka
Students of the Andamooka Primary School returned to school at the Community Hall on Monday. It was not a perfect start for the students - the building they will be using is not complete yet so the hall is a temporary refuge. Governing Council chairperson, Naomi Campbell, said it was brilliant to see the children back at school in
Andamooka again. “It was really good to have everyone back at school - it has been a long time coming,” she said.
“Now all we have to do is convince the Education Department that this is where our children should be,” she said.
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