Southern Launch - Koonibba Test Range Program

Are you a Traditional Owner or Aboriginal party with an interest in the Yumbarra Conservation Park, Yellabinna Regional Reserve and/or Yellabinna Wilderness Protection Area in the far west of South Australia?

If so, the Premier wants to hear from you about a proposal from SouthernLaunch.space Pty Ltd to undertake rocket-test launches in the area.

What's being decided?

The Premier of South Australia, who is responsible for the Aboriginal Heritage Act 1988 (SA) (Act), has received an application from SouthernLaunch.space Pty Ltd (Applicant) for authorisations to help allow it to undertake ongoing, suborbital rocket-test launches from Crown and freehold land located some 34 km northwest of Ceduna, near Koonibba.

The Applicant’s proposed activities would involve:

• mobilising/demobilising moveable facilities and equipment into and from the application area to facilitate rocket test-launches
• undertaking rocket test launches and recovering landed rockets/components.

Ground disturbance to the application area would be likely to occur as a result of:

• the impact of rockets/components landing on the ground
• expeditions to recover the rockets/components
• potential excavation to recover rockets/components from the ground.

Our maps of the application area may help you to better understand the areas over which the Applicant seeks authorisation.

Background

The Premier of South Australia has received an application for authorisations under sections 21 and 23 of the Act:

• Section 21 of the Act makes it an offence to excavate land for the purpose of uncovering any Aboriginal site, objects or remains (Aboriginal heritage) without authorisation
• Section 23 of the Act makes it an offence to damage, disturb or interfere with Aboriginal heritage without authorisation.

The areas for which authorisations have been sought intersect:

• the Yumbarra Conservation Park
• the Yellabinna Regional Reserve
• the Yellabinna Wilderness Protection Area
• freehold land, including land owned by the Koonibba Community Aboriginal Corporation (KCAC).

The application area contains at least 12 known Aboriginal sites that are of significance to Aboriginal archaeology, anthropology and/or tradition.

Prior to considering whether to grant the authorisations, section 13 of the Act requires the Premier to consult with Traditional Owners, the State Aboriginal Heritage Committee (Committee), and other Aboriginal parties that he thinks may have an interest in the matter.

Get involved

If you are a Traditional Owner or an Aboriginal party with an interest in the application area, please read the Consultation Information Pack and consider the following questions:

• Should the authorisations be granted to the Applicant? Why or why not?
• If the authorisations are granted, what conditions, if any, should be placed on them?
• Are there any other matters that the Premier should be aware of when considering the application?

Have your say by:

• calling us on (08) 8226 8900
• emailing your feedback to DPC-AAR.CIR@sa.gov.au
• attending our public meeting
• posting your feedback to:
  
  Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation
  GPO Box 2343
  ADELAIDE SA 5001

AAR will endeavour to contact Aboriginal parties with a known interest in the application area before the consultation period closes. If you are not contacted and wish to learn more and/or lodge a submission, please contact us.

How can your input influence the decision?

Your views will help the Premier decide whether or not to authorise potential excavation, damage, disturbance or interference with Aboriginal heritage that may occur as a result of these activities within the application area.

What are the next steps?

Your feedback will be treated confidentially. However, unless specified otherwise, submissions will be provided to the Applicant, the Committee and the Premier for consideration.

Once the consultation period closes, feedback will be forwarded to the Committee for its review and recommendations. AAR will collate your and the Committee's feedback and provide these to the Premier in a report to assist him make his decision.