Whyalla desalination EIS models $3.3b a year, 2,000 jobs

The Northern Water desalination plant proposed for Mullaquana Station, about 20 kilometres southwest of Whyalla, is open for public comment on its Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) until 11 December 2026. Modelling in the EIS projects an average $3.3 billion a year for the South Australian economy and about 2,000 full-time equivalent jobs a year from 2026 to 2062, according to the State Government, as reported by Glam Adelaide. The project is not approved and has not reached a Final Investment Decision. For civil and pipeline contractors, that makes it a long-dated prospect, not a contract.

Why it matters

The plant would connect to around 400 kilometres of pipelines carrying water to South Australia’s Far North. The modelling attributes the projected benefits to expanded mining and industrial activity, and the supply chains and businesses that support them. The government says the water could also help unlock the state’s critical mineral resources.

The project is subject to both State and Commonwealth environmental assessment, with the EIS combining the two into a single process. Minister for Energy and Mining Tom Koutsantonis said the project could give Upper Spencer Gulf and Far North communities greater economic certainty. He also said protecting the Gulf’s marine and coastal environment was a vital part of the project. “We want to ensure their voices are heard,” he said of local communities.

The consultation comes as Whyalla also deals with steelworks job losses, covered in an earlier report.

The numbers

• $3.3 billion a year: the average boost to South Australia’s economy projected by the EIS modelling, 2026 to 2062.
• 2,000 FTE jobs: the jobs the same modelling projects the project would support each year over that period.
• 400 kilometres: the approximate length of pipeline proposed to carry water to the Far North.
• 11 December 2026: the closing date for EIS feedback.

These are modelled projections. The government’s announcement does not state a construction cost, funding source or start date.

What’s next

Residents in Whyalla, Port Augusta and Roxby Downs will get a chance to raise questions in person, with drop-in sessions planned for all three towns over the consultation period; exact dates weren’t included in the announcement. Once feedback closes, officials will compile a response document covering the issues raised, which carries the project into the next round of assessment on the way to a Final Investment Decision.

The EIS also covers the coastal, mallee, arid and sandy country along the pipeline route, and cultural heritage significant to Barngala and Kokatha Traditional Owners.