We support calls for greater protection of both the exmouth gulf and the wetlands located south of the proposed Ashburton salt site.
K+S Salt Australia
K+S Salt AUSTRALIA commitment to our environment
It’s no secret that the proposed Ashburton Salt project lies to the north of environmentally significant areas.
We knew from the very start we would never develop these wetlands, which is why we relinquished permits for those areas.
We also knew we had to put significant time and rigour into getting our studies and modelling right.
It took more than $10 million and over seven years to complete this important exercise – but we can now say with confidence that the area has been comprehensively studied and modelled with potential impacts identified and addressed.
We redesigned the project each time we learnt more about the site – which happened over those seven years as studies and modelling results came in.
In fact, we redesigned and improved the site eight times, at significant expense, to make absolutely sure we got it right.
As a result:
The project is not located on the sensitive mangrove and algal mat region to the south - and we have relinquished permits for those areas
The proposed project footprint has been cut by 30%
Proposed water intake locations have been cut from two to one
There will be no shipping in the Exmouth Gulf
There will be no dredging for a shipping channel
There will be no long-term storage of bitterns (dehydrated seawater with most salt removed)
Scientific input has been used to inform the project layout to minimise potential impacts on nutrient flow to nearby marine areas
The salt evaporation process will use sun and wind, minimising energy needs