Plan to sell sacred Kaurna washpool land at Aldinga Beach
SA Water is planning to sell sacred Kaurna land connected to the Aldinga washpool.
SA Water wants to sell off sacred Kaurna land connected to the Aldinga Washpool Lagoon despite council and community opposition.
The water utility is proposing to sell four blocks of land on Justs Rd, which connect to the lagoon in Aldinga Beach.
The washpool – also known as Wangkuntilla – is one of the last remaining coastal lagoons of its kind along the metropolitan Adelaide coastline.
It and the surrounding areas are culturally significant to the Kaurna people with the area once used for the curing and drying of animal skins for cloaks and rugs.
Ownership of the 91ha site is divided between the Environment Department, the Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure, SA Water and Onkaparinga Council.
The council is opposed to the sale and Mayor Erin Thompson is planning to write to Environment Minister David Speirs urging him to prevent SA Water from going ahead.
Local environment group Friends of Willunga Basin has also written to Mr Speirs asking him to save the land.
In a draft letter, which still needs to be approved by elected members before being sent, Ms Thompson said the council had been caught off guard by SA Water’s intention to sell part of its land.
Ms Thompson wrote that the site had “significant cultural value to the Kaurna people”, provided valuable habitat for water birds and played a functional role in stormwater management.
She said it was “critical” that SA Water’s land was retained as it may contain Aboriginal artefacts and its loss would reduce the area’s character.
“The council strongly supports the government’s efforts to progress the consolidation of various land holdings (under the control of the Environment Minister),” Ms Thompson wrote.
“To this end, I seek your intervention in the planned disposal of important SA Water owned land.
“Council was of the belief that these were intended for inclusion in the future consolidated Aldinga Washpool Lagoon site.
“Once the land is out of the control of the state it is unlikely to be restored and revegetated.”
Onkaparinga has been involved in efforts to conserve the washpool for more than a decade and in 2014 an agreement was reached to make the Environment Minister the sole owner of the site.
Environment Minister David Speirs said any decision regarding the site’s future would be worked through with the community.
“I have personally visited the Aldinga Washpool Lagoon site and am aware of the cultural significance of the land to the Kaurna people,” Mr Speirs said.
“The section of land is owned by SA Water but is surplus to their operational needs.
“The Department for Environment and Water has formed an Aldinga Washpool Working Group to keep all of the interested community stakeholders informed about the various projects occurring in and around the Washpool.”