In July 2020, ABC News reported that the utility SA Water would move the proposed site of a desalination plant at Sleaford Bay in South Australia. The land, bought in 2018, lay close to Sleaford Mere Conservation Park and a popular whale watching area 22 kilometres south of Port Lincoln. Residents had raised concerns about groundwater flows and listed species. The final site was to be further from Sleaford Mere and whale aggregation areas, with construction expected to begin in the first half of 2021.
The report showed how environmental protection and more than a year of community consultation can shape the siting of desalination plants on sensitive coastlines.
Source: ABC News