Kangaroo Island Plantation Timber’s proposed $40 million seaport at Smith Bay has again raised the ire of a neighbouring abalone farm and the local council. Neighbouring abalone farm Yumbah Aquaculture has written to the local council highlighting a series of concerns over a harbour planned alongside the seaport, which it says extends 1.6 nautical miles from the shore. Source: Timberbiz
The Smith Bay development is currently under assessment with the South Australian State Government.
Details of the seaport project, which the company maintains is vital to export timber, were released publicly last year, but Yumbah director Anthony Hall said they made no mention of the harbour’s size.
“To now seek to have a … very large area declared a harbour as a secondary approval is completely contrary to the spirit and requirements of a major development process,” Mr Hall wrote to the council.
“We have asked commercial fishermen, north coast marine tourism operators and recreational fishermen and boat owners – none have been advised of this new harbour and its massive extent.”
Mr Hall claimed the harbour moved the impacts of the seaport much closer to its abalone farm and interfered with its licenses and leases.
“If the operator … chooses to make the harbour an exclusion zone, it will take 2km to traverse the area covered and will exclude a substantial area currently used by fishing and tourist operators,” he said.
Kangaroo Island Council this month voted to write to Planning Minister Stephan Knoll reiterating it was “entirely opposed” to the development.
It is worried about how it will affect Yumbah and the environment and has said the company should find a site west of Stokes Bay Rd, closer to plantations, where the water is deeper.
Kangaroo Island Plantation Timbers managing director John Sergeant said determining the harbour’s boundary was an administrative step and would not affect the environment or neighbours.
He said a harbour master would control the area, excluding other vessels when needed to ensure safety.
