Kangaroo Island Timber Plantation deepwater port environment plan shows whales face hearing damage during construction

A proposed seaport at Kangaroo Island would need about 100,000 cubic metres of sediment and rock to be dredged — and whales would face hearing damage if they ventured too close.

Kangaroo Island Plantation Timbers is planning a deepwater port at Smith Bay, on the island. Picture: Supplied

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A proposed seaport at Kangaroo Island will have a “relatively minor” environmental impact, despite a need to dredge about 100,000 cubic metres of sediment and rock, a timber company says.

The State Government on Thursday released Kangaroo Island Plantation Timbers’s environmental impact statement, which sets out how it will manage its effects on the area.

It noted a risk of work associated with the deepwater port causing hearing damage in southern right whales and the loss of about 10ha of habitat from building a causeway and dredging.

The water depth at the Smith Bay berthing site, about 400m offshore, was about 11.5m, and would will need to be dredged to 13.5m. Dredging would likely to be staged over about two months.

In the first few years there would be about 10-20 vessels visiting annually, dropping to about 10 after that.

One of the major impacts, the statement said, was the extra truck movements needed to deliver timber.

The company noted that southern right whales could face permanent hearing damage if they ventured within 900m of the development site during piling.

Yumbah Aquaculture, which has an abalone farm at Smith Bay, is among the project’s biggest opponents.

Kangaroo Island Plantation Timbers’ report said the project’s impact on water quality would be monitored and dredging would stop if alarms were triggered.

Yumbah director Anthony Hall said alternative port sites were available, which would not “destroy Yumbah’s world-class aquaculture business”.

“How Kangaroo Island Plantation Timbers can possibly believe an industrial seaport for bulk carriers with extensive log and woodchip facilities onshore will not affect Yumbah is completely unfathomable,” Mr Hall said.

The impact statement said the company would address potential construction noise impact on whales by using a ‘soft start’ to deter marine mammals, and would stop pile driving if they were seen nearby.

Tony Bartram, co-ordinator of Kangaroo Island/Victor Harbor Dolphin Watch, said the project would drive whales and dolphins away from “critical habitat”.

“If this project goes ahead, we can basically kiss Kangaroo Island and its potential as a marine wonderland, goodbye,” Mr Bartram said.

Kangaroo Island Plantation Timbers managing director John Sergeant said the company had chosen the best site.

“We’d expect that wherever we put a facility like this, someone will wish it was elsewhere,” Mr Sergeant said.

“The key thing that really is harmful to whales is blasting and we won’t be doing any blasting to create this facility.”

To offset its environmental impact, the company would allocate money towards a seagrass recovery program and feral cat eradication.

It had worked with the local council to choose a trucking route that minimised impacts.

“Impacts on Kangaroo Island’s unique environment, and on matters of national environmental significance in particular, are relatively minor and can be readily mitigated and offset,” the report states.

The company said the project would create about 270 permanent full-time jobs.

It would also add $42 million each year to the island’s gross regional product.

Written submissions on the environmental impact statement are open until May 28, and three public meetings will be held on Kangaroo Island, and in Adelaide, in early May.

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