Quick Facts
The Ashburton Salt project was announced more than eight years ago, in 2016.
Since then, more than $10 million has been invested in environmental studies and modelling.
The project’s Environmental Review Document was presented to the public in 2023, and K+S Salt Australia has now provided further information to the Western Australian Environmental Protection Authority based on the feedback.
If constructed, the total capital expenditure on the project will be $850 million.
Construction would create more than 350 full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs.
Once operational, the project would create 130 FTE jobs, planned to be based in Onslow.
The project’s Native Title agreement with the Thalanyji People was signed in 2023, as was an Indigenous Land Use Agreement (between the Thalanyji, K+S Salt Australia and the WA Government).
The Thalanyji People have publicly supported the Ashburton Salt project.
The Shire of Ashburton has publicly supported the Ashburton Salt project, as has the broader Onslow community.
K+S Salt Australia has engaged constructively and positively with local community and recreational (including fishing) groups in Onslow, and has not encountered any opposition.
-
Yes.
We have engaged closely with the Onslow community since 2016 and residents, local community groups and the Shire of Ashburton have all expressed support. The Traditional Owners of the land on which the Ashburton Salt project is located also support the project. These are the people most likely to be affected by the project, and those who have the best understanding of the site.
-
No.
We spoke to committee members of the Ashburton Anglers, the local recreational fishing club in Onslow. No concerns were raised at our most recent meeting in 2024.
-
Over the years, we have reached out to the group several times and offered to meet to discuss the detailed project plans, and share the research, modelling and findings regarding the site.
We believed face to face engagement would provide an excellent opportunity to challenge our thinking, capture feedback and take on board suggestions before the Environmental Review Document was finalised and submitted to the Environmental Protection Authority.
To date, our offers to meet Protect Ningaloo have not been accepted – however, the invitation remains open.
-
No.
The project does not comprise large-scale industrial facilities like those developed for manufacturing, energy or processing (such as the Wheatstone facility). It does not include high-rise buildings or structures.
It comprises a large expanse of evaporation ponds that look like lakes, and a smaller area that includes crystalliser ponds, minor infrastructure (such as on-site offices), a salt stockpile and a jetty.
-
No – for two reasons.
Firstly, the project is not a mine. No salt will be extracted from the ground.
Secondly, the salt flats, upon which the salt ponds are proposed, cannot be “bulldozed” because the clay-rich base needs to remain intact for salt production.
The proposal includes the construction of low walls, or levees, along the outside of the ponds to help retain the water.
The details of the project are included in the project’s Environmental Review Document.
-
Only Urala Creek South will be used for seawater intake.
Several studies and modelling undertaken at Urala Creek do not support this claim.
The design of the seawater intake and proposed times and speed of the pumping have all been carefully developed in order to avoid or minimise any possible impacts.
The results of these studies and modelling can be found in the Ashburton Salt project Environmental Review Document.
-
The proposal avoids major flow paths and, where it will alter minor surface water flows, these impacts will be mitigated by installing surface water management infrastructure to divert flows around the ponds towards the Gulf.
-
Comprehensive studies and water flow modelling reports do not support this claim.
The project was redrawn no less than eight times as the studies and modelling were completed in order to specifically minimise its footprint and avoid impacts to water flow / inundation.
The measures taken include the addition of culverts and draining diversions designed specifically to address impacts to tidal and surface water flows and nutrient pathways.
In addition, we now know the vast majority of infrastructure associated with the project has been located outside of the intertidal areas.
The results of these studies and modelling can be found in the Ashburton Salt project Environmental Review Document.
-
Comprehensive studies and water flow modelling reports do not support this claim.
Pond walls will be designed to be relatively impermeable, but over the life of the project some seepage will reach the outer edge of the walls.
Any release of this saline water would be extremely slow, and most likely evaporate, with any salts seeping into the existing salt pan (which is already highly saline) rather than flowing into the surrounding environment.
The ponds are designed in a way that significant rainfall would be captured within the ponds. If any rare event occurred where the ponds overflowed, the overflow water would be fresh (salt water sinks to the bottom of the ponds).
The results of these studies and modelling can be found in the Ashburton Salt project Environmental Review Document.
-
No.
Despite our best efforts to avoid all mangroves, there will be 4.23ha of mangrove area directly impacted, representing less than one tenth of a percent (0.04%) of mangroves located within the East Exmouth Gulf.
The results of these studies and modelling can be found in the Ashburton Salt project Environmental Review Document.
-
No.
Current studies do not support claims that the Ningaloo Reef, located some 35km away, will be impacted by the Ashburton Salt project.
The results of these studies and modelling can be found in the Ashburton Salt project Environmental Review Document.
-
We have specifically studied sawfish and other marine life at Urala Creek North and designed the seawater intake to ensure sawfish are not trapped and can freely move past the structure. This includes screens, slow flow rates at the screen, and pumping of water only when there is sufficient water volume in the creek.
Media information
K+S Salt Australia has worked with local universities, scientists and other experts to develop an unmatched understanding of the Ashburton Salt site and how it interacts with the wider environment, including the Exmouth Gulf.
We welcome queries about the project and its potential impacts, and invite the media to fact-check claims made about the Ashburton Salt project against the results of these scientific studies and models.
Spokesperson
Gerrit Gödecke
Managing Director
K+S Salt Australia
(based in Perth, Australia)
Media contact
Renee Wilkinson
Purple
+61 8 6314 6300
High-resolution images for media are available on request.