The desalination plant, sections of the pipeline and associated infrastructure are located within the Barngarla Determination Area. The remainder of the transfer system and Project infrastructure is proposed to be located within the boundaries of the Kokatha Determination Area. The Project footprint also contains areas of cultural significance.
Native Title
The Project is negotiating Indigenous Land Use Agreements (ILUAs) to meet the requirements of the Commonwealth Native Title Act 1993. The ILUAs will be agreements between the State Government and Traditional Owner groups and will cover matters including Aboriginal cultural heritage protection and management, environmental protection, and employment, training and business opportunities.
Aboriginal cultural heritage
A key aim of the Project is to protect and minimise impacts on areas identified as having cultural heritage significance. Aboriginal cultural heritage surveys, undertaken in collaboration with the relevant Traditional Owners, have been and continue to be used to inform Project planning and development.
Survey outcomes have informed the location, design and construction methodology for Project infrastructure, including the desalination plant, marine works, transfer pipeline system and ancillary infrastructure.
The cultural heritage surveys will also inform the development of detailed Cultural Heritage Management Plans (CHMPs) for the construction and operational phases of the Project. The CHMPs will set out heritage identification, protection and management processes and protocols to be applied over the life of the infrastructure.
Honouring and respecting Aboriginal Culture
In 2025, the Project team worked closely with the Kokatha people to name key Project infrastructure on Kokatha land. Traditional Kokatha names have been assigned to two pump stations and a water storage tank as a proud acknowledgment of the land on which they are located.
- Kalaya Pump Station (formerly Kootaberra Pump Station);
- Mangala Pump Station (formerly Oakden Hills Pump Station); and
- Bimba Storage Tank (formerly Pimba Storage Tank).
The Kokatha names will be displayed alongside artwork on the infrastructure.
The Project will continue to work with Traditional Owner groups to explore opportunities for cultural expression and recognition across the Project.