{"id":43765,"date":"2024-11-11T08:24:43","date_gmt":"2024-11-11T07:24:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/c443e001-57e8-4840-9621-168bf71f9c1c"},"modified":"2024-11-11T09:27:27","modified_gmt":"2024-11-11T08:27:27","slug":"a-new-rocket-launch-facility-has-just-been-approved-in-australia-heres-what-that-means-for-local-wildlife","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcwildlife\/rss_feed\/a-new-rocket-launch-facility-has-just-been-approved-in-australia-heres-what-that-means-for-local-wildlife\/","title":{"rendered":"A new rocket-launch facility has just been approved in Australia. Here’s what that means for local wildlife"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Whalers Way Orbital Launch Complex in South Australia has just received its final planning approvals \u2013 conservationists say the decision puts local wildlife in the firing line. <\/p>

By <\/p>

Published: Monday, 11 November 2024 at 07:24 AM<\/p>

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Approval has been given for Southern Launch to build a new rocket-launch facility in South Australia. However, conservationists fear that the site could propel two endangered birds towards extinction.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>

The Whalers Way Orbital Launch Complex is due to clear up to 23.4 hectares (0.234 square kilometres) of habitat at Whalers Way on the southern shore of the Eyre Peninsula, and the noise from the launches is predicted to impact a 6km (3.73-mile) radius.\u00a0<\/p>

The newly approved Southern Launch site is located on the Eyre Peninsula, South Australia\/Getty <\/figcaption> <\/figure>

The Eyre Peninsula southern emu-wren (Stipiturus malachurus parimeda<\/em>) is a subspecies endemic to the peninsula, with a population consisting of as few as 750 birds across 11 isolated sites. One of these sites is Whalers Way, which has been identified as critical habitat for the bird.<\/p>

\u201cThe proposal by proponents Southern Launch presents a completely unacceptable risk to any birds in a six-kilometre radius,\u201d says Kate Millar, CEO of BirdLife Australia.<\/p>

\u201cThese tiny birds hide when disturbed. They can\u2019t and won\u2019t fly away to escape the shock waves from a rocket launch. This could happen up to 36 times a year. We firmly believe there are alternate potential sites that have not been adequately considered.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>

The facility has been approved by both the South Australian government and by the Federal government, and Southern Launch has been working with the local Nauo people to preserve their heritage sites.\u00a0<\/p>

\u201cWe are committed to delivering a net environmental benefit to the Whalers Way site,\u201d says Lloyd Damp, CEO of Southern Launch. “Currently there is no environmental management plan in place for this private property. We intend to implement a comprehensive plan to ensure native species in the area are protected.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>

The company has said that the findings from their impact assessment show that birds quickly resume their normal behaviour after the noise of a launch.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>

BirdLife Australia says that the mallee whipbird (Psophodes leucogaster leucogaster<\/em>), also known as the white-bellied whipbird, will be impacted by the facility\u2019s development, too. It has a limited distribution, endemic to a few areas in South Australia and Victoria, and it\u2019s estimated that there are fewer than 2,000 mallee whipbirds.<\/p>

Main image: Eyre Peninsula southern emu-wren\/Fran Solly<\/em><\/p>

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