SA Skydiving plan flagged for Hindmarsh Island, Goolwa, and Port Elliot

Skydivers would land at Hindmarsh Island, Goolwa, and Port Elliot under a proposal being considered by the council – but many locals are worried about the plan.

Skydivers would be allowed to land at Hindmarsh Island and Goolwa, and more frequently drop in on Port Elliott, if a proposal wins Alexandrina Council’s backing.

But during consultation about SA Skydiving’s proposal, locals have raised a range of worries about the bid to open up Sugars Beach, Hindmarsh Island, and a reserve at Barrage Road, Goolwa, to the company’s thrillseeking clients.

SA Skydiving uses its own private airfield outside Langhorne Creek, and is also allowed to land at Basham Beach, Port Elliot, fortnightly on Saturdays and Sundays from 8am–noon, but wants to open up on more days with unrestricted hours.

It also wants to use Horseshoe Bay, Port Elliot, for special events.

SA Skydiving does a tandem jump over the Fleurieu Peninsula. Picture: SA Skydiving

SA Skydiving manager Matt “Teags” Teager said it had support from the SA Tourism Commission to collaborate with other businesses offering new “collaborative products” including overnight stays and multi-attraction tours.

Demand was growing, he said, and in a bid to bring more business to the region, the company wanted more times available for people to jump.

“We are aware of community concerns about expanding times of operation at one location, so that’s the driver to include multiple locations – so operations can be divided between the dropzones and there is minimal impact at any one location,” Mr Teager said.

During the pandemic, he said the organisation saw a “massive” downturn in tandem skydiving, and more people wanting to do solo dive courses.

SA Skydiving wants more opportunities to do its jumps over the Fleurieu Peninsula. Picture: SA Skydiving

But Mr Teager said skydivers have been venturing out again since restrictions have eased.

He said SA Skydiving only wanted to use Horseshoe Bay, Port Elliot, for special events a couple of times a year.

An Alexandrina Council report shows 80 people responded to consultation about company’s bid.

“The majority of responses were not supportive of the proposal at any of the locations,” it said.

They were worried about habitat disturbance, safety issues, plane noise and the use of public land for “commercial gain”.

Respondents also worried about other environmental effects including impacts on vulnerable hooded plovers, proximity to a playground and a lack of consultation with local flying clubs.

Mr Teager said the company only used a small area for landing, operated within set aircraft noise parameters and took off and gained altitude at Goolwa Airport, only flying over drop zones at high altitudes.

Alexandrina Council is expected to vote on the proposal in September.

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