Environmentalists seek protection for Gillman wetlands and vegetation in face of increased threat

Update (6.8.25): Minister Champion approved the Lot 502 development, making it more urgent that the remaining Threatened Ecological community (TEC) Subtropical and Temperate Coastal Saltmarsh and wetlands are protected.

Local environmentalists are opposing State Government plans to almost triple its T2D spoil reuse facility at Gillman and argue that the SA Planning Minister should rectify 2015 zoning overreach which jeopardises the capacity and ecology of wetland ecosystems, including the Magazine Creek and Range constructed wetlands and natural intertidal saltmarsh wetlands.

In December 2024 Planning Minister Nick Champion approved State Government plans to deposit millions of tonnes of spoil from the T2D project to land (Lot 501) adjacent to the Barker Creek wetlands despite opposition from Friends of Port River (FPR), Port Adelaide Residents Environment Protection Group (PAREPG) and the City of Port Adelaide Enfield

Now, following a SCAP hearing on June 25^th, 2025 the Minister will consider a further State Government (DIT) proposal to extend this project, with even more spoil to be delivered to a larger adjoining area (on Lot 502) putting more pressure on the adjacent ecosystems and destroying 1.1 has of the Threatened Ecological community (TEC) Subtropical and Temperate Coastal Saltmarsh.

While the State Government was initially going to avoid any impact on the threatened saltmarsh, its option 2 below eliminates 1.1 has of saltmarsh. No referral to DCEEW (re Environment Protection & Biodiversity Conservation Act) was made in relation to this proposal.

Renewal SA has never managed the Gillman land it owns to support this important habitat, so the saltmarsh degrades and this proposal continues the process of ‘death by a 1,000 cuts’.  The saltmarsh could be restored quickly to health with access to tidal flows, providing vital blue carbon benefits.

The City of Port Adelaide Enfield, Friends of Port River (FPR) and Port Adelaide Residents Environment Protection Group have all expressed concern to SCAP in 2024 and 2025 about potential impacts from this State development including  

• limiting the capacity of the constructed wetlands to accommodate stormwater from the City of PAE and City of Charles Sturt
• limiting the wetlands capacity to filter stormwater and provide habitat for coastal birds
• potential failure of coastal infrastructure owned by Renewal SA
• freshwater inundating the threatened saltmarsh and hastening its demise
• the risk of contaminants from Lot 501 and 502 being transferred through the wetlands to the Port River and Barker Inlet Estuary
• trucks every 2 to 4 minutes, 24 x 7, until end 2031, disrupting the feeding and roosting of coastal and migratory shorebirds

The Development Application (DA) argues that land can be filled at Gillman and the displaced stormwater accommodated, however this Crown development fails to take account of stormwater that will be generated by development in the broader catchment area (of City PAE and City Charles Sturt) and the increasing likelihood of storm surges, sea level rise and major downpours. If stormwater cannot be accommodated in the constructed wetlands, then it will need to be released more quickly (tide levels and tidal gates permitting) or allowed to inundate and further threaten the saltmarsh.

As with Lot 501, there are contaminants of concern on Lot 502, including asbestos, explosives, PFAS, petroleum hydrocarbons, metals etc and it is not known if these are currently leaching into the wetlands.

Agon in their Executive Summary report that “groundwater results indicate that site contamination of groundwater exists, based on concentrations of chemicals above the adopted criteria”.

Again, like Lot 501, Interim Audit Advice isn’t required until Stage 2 for Lot 502 and this DA will likely be approved without that key information.  SCAP was not informed of the outcomes of the Interim Audit Advice for Lot 501, since it is not yet completed. FPR remains concerned with the potential for contaminants and chemicals to leach into the wetlands and Barker Inlet.

Renewal SA owns land next to this development and aspires for more of it to be developed for industrial purposes. Renewal SA is responsible for the coastal levee banks and tidal gates that protect this land.

The City of PAE advised SCAP that

‘the planning report provided with the DA advises the (tidal) gates are towards the end of their service life, are in need of replacement within the foreseeable future, and that there are currently no funded plans for their replacement by Renewal SA. This is of particular concern’.

In 2015 local environmentalists (Tony Bazeley, PAREPG and Catherine McMahon) argued against the extent of rezoning of Gillman land (Employment Lands (Gillman/Dry Creek and Wingfield) and General Section Amendments DPA), before rezoning for industrial use was approved across 51 hectares of waterways and mangroves (Land not within a Council Area) and land with Metropolitan Open Space zoning.   

The rezoning approved by the then Labor government did not protect even the constructed wetlands from industrial zoning as shown below.

Given the risks now posed by this large scale development of a spoil reuse facility, FPR argue that the State Government should revise the zoning of the remaining Gillman Subzone land, removing the zoning for industrial purposes. Any rezoning needs to provide protection for the Magazine Creek wetlands, the Range Basin and the Magazine Basin and for the remaining Threatened Ecological community (TEC) Subtropical and Temperate Coastal Saltmarsh.