Construction on a major South Australian pipeline project has been postponed until 2023 to protect a group of 20 newly listed threatened bird species.
Work to replace sections of an 80-year-old pipeline between Morgan and Whyalla was due to begin this year.
The remediation works will be postponed to ensure environmental assessments can be carried out to minimise potential impacts to threatened fauna.
SA Water was made aware of the delay during the final phases of planning.
The Mallee Bird Community includes a group of 20 threatened bird species located north-west of Morgan that are dependent on widespread and abundant areas of native mallee vegetation.
Two of the species in the community, the malleefowl and black-eared miner, are considered nationally endangered due to habitat loss.
The group was listed as a new, threatened ecological community by the federal Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW).
Further investigation needed
SA Water senior manager of capital delivery Peter Seltsikas said about 7 kilometres of the 358-kilometre-long pipeline was situated within the threatened habitat in the Murray Darling Depression Bioregion, which lies in the south-west corner of New South Wales and extends into Victoria and South Australia.
"This community was listed late last year and information was forthcoming earlier this year," he said.
"We’ve taken the opportunity, given environmental preservation is really important to SA Water, to just pause and to further investigate and better understand that area.
"We’ll be undertaking studies of the [birds'] movement and spatial monitoring to better understand the extent of the zone and that will better inform us of the work that we will be able to do."
Mr Seltsikas said once field assessments were completed and submitted to DCCEEW, SA Water would need to work through a process of gaining approvals to continue to carry out the renewal of the pipeline.
Up to 34 kilometres of the pipeline is expected to be replaced in the project to maintain future water security for the state’s mid-north, Yorke Peninsula and Eyre Peninsula distribution networks.
Mr Seltsikas said new sections of pipeline would be constructed above ground and adjacent to the existing infrastructure.
He said the environmental investigations would provide an understanding into how the construction program can still go ahead.
"We're also looking at potentially starting other parts of the renewal program in other areas where this community of threatened species is not there," Mr Seltsikas said.
"We’ll endeavour to work through the process to ultimately ensure that we’re able to renew this important pipeline, but we will take our time and ensure that we prioritise the preservation of the environment.
"We’ll work through that and start construction in the early part of 2023."
Editor's note 26/8/2022: This story has been updated to correct an error regarding how much of the pipeline is within the threatened habitat.
