Osborne SDA
Since the State Government announced in June 2026 that it was preparing to declare its first State Development Area – the Osborne SDA – there has been high levels of local interest in the consultation about the SDA boundaries, reflected in the well attended drop-in sessions and the 250 written submissions received by the Coordinator General’s Office (CGO).
While the CGO anticipated that it would release the draft SDA Plan later this year, FPR (Friends of Port River) and PARPEG (Port Adelaide Residents Environment Protection Group) have recently been advised that the CGO now anticipates publicly releasing the written public submissions, and a report of ‘what we heard’ prior to the release of the draft SDA Plan.
FPR’s written submission on the SDA boundaries included a copy of FPR’s submission to the AUKUS Public Inquiry and a link to our July blog on the SDA.
Mutton Cove and the relocation of utilities
For some months FPR and PAREPG was aware that the 2 gas lines (Epic Energy and SEA Gas) and ElectraNet’s 275kV electricity line, through Mutton Cove, would be relocated further west as a requirement of AUKUS on those companies.
However the scale of impact of ANI’s requirements of ElectraNet only became apparent when the Development Application was publicly advertised, with consultation between 22nd July and 11th August.
At the southern end of Mutton Cove, a second substation is proposed adjacent to the existing substation and a lay-down area would encroach on further land, and vegetation, to the east of the new substation. Trenching would take the 275kV line underground through Mutton Cove, near the current SEA Gas line.
FPR was shocked to see that the DA did not include consultation with the Coast Protection Board, or the EPA, despite this work occurring in an environmentally sensitive estuarine environment.
FPR has outlined its concerns in its response to the DA and will make its arguments to the State Commission Assessment Panel.
While FPR doesn’t welcome the disruption that will come from the tunneling of the gas lines under Mutton Cove, Epic Energy has engaged with Green Adelaide, Trees for Life, FPR and PARPEG about relocation of their gas pipeline for the AUKUS development. Trees for Life has been engaged to collect some seeds and to collect some plants to be transplanted. Some saltmarsh have been relocated to Yitpi Yartapuultiku.