Parts of Gulf St Vincent to be closed as Defence hits the water
A HUGE increase in ammunition will be fired into the ocean off Port Wakefield, forcing the closure of large parts of Gulf St Vincent and threatening the local fishing industry.
THE Army will fire a huge increase of “next generation” ammunition into the Gulf St Vincent, forcing the closure of large parts of the ocean and threatening the local fishing industry.
The Defence Department has confirmed a beefed up weapons testing schedule from the Proof and Experimental Establishment, near Port Wakefield.
It comes as security tensions mount in the Asia Pacific region as North Korea continues to test long-range missiles.
When live firing is done from the Proof and Experimental Establishment, boats are prohibited from whatever area necessary to ensure their safety.
The average number of days when there are extra closures in place was 20 to 30 a year, but has been increasing, and is expected to increase to about 70. The current artillery, a 155mm towed howitzer, can hit targets up to 30km away.
A Defence spokeswoman said the department would “soon be testing the next generation of ammunition for artillery”.
There will be “multiple trials of large-calibre, long-range ammunition”.
The trials will close access to various restricted zones and access to the gulf from the Parham boat ramp.
“Defence seeks to minimise its impact on local fishing and only exercise its ability to restrict access to support operational outcomes,” the spokeswoman said.
“Defence acknowledges the impact and therefore has robust consultation and communication mechanisms in place to work with the local community to minimise the impact.”
The Defence Department planned to hold a briefing session for local residents at Port Parham on Wednesday night and another on Thursday at Port Wakefield before putting more restriction zones in place.
Jeff Wait — the immediate past president of the Net Fishers’ Association — told The Advertiser commercial fishermen were being notified they were going to “blow the crap out of” the Gulf.
But he said there had been little communication ahead of the briefing sessions.
“I reckon it’s by stealth. They’ve been organising it for quite a few years; they’re about to increase their firing into the gulf,” he said.
Mr Wait said fishermen were losing more and more fishing days.
“It’s going to close me down,” he said, adding that the closures would also affect premier crabbing spots.
The Proof and Experimental Establishment, about 8km south of Port Wakefield and near the northern tip of Gulf St Vincent, is used by the Army and Navy for weapons research and testing.
According to the Defence Department, “the tidal movements near the site make it the only range in Australia where projectiles can be fired into a coastal area and retrieved relatively undamaged for assessment and review”.
Former Parliamentary Secretary for Defence, Darren Chester, was told in 2015 of Mr Wait’s concerns and wrote that while Defence was “sympathetic to the impact of this on the fishing community, it is a matter for the Government of SA, which is responsible for the management of the Gulf of St Vincent”.
“Defence maintains an ongoing commitment to minimising the impact of the Proof Range operation on the local community,” he wrote.
“However, it is expected, that the introduction of new artillery capabilities will increase the number of closures to around 60 to 70 to facilitate the proof and testing of the new weapons and ammunition.”
At that time the Government put out a tender for laboratory equipment for the site, saying:
“With improvements in capability and technology, in particular the ammunition to be procured under the Future Artillery Ammunition (FAA) project, there is a requirement to conduct more advanced and precise testing.”
Local Labor MP Nick Champion said the best outcome would be for “Defence to have the area to themselves and reach some accommodation with the fisherman”.
Some fisherman have received compensation for the closures.
“I’d encourage the Government to meet with the fishermen and reach some negotiated outcome as to resolve the issue permanently,” he said.