South Australian Green MP Mark Parnell has announced his opposition to the proposed desalination plant at BHP Billiton’s Olympic Dam site, saying that its construction would pose a major risk to local marine life.

 

Jochen Kaempf, associate professor from the School of the Environment at Flinders University, has joined Mr Parnell in urging the government to reject the plan.

 

"Under no circumstances should the governments involved in the assessment of the supplementary EIS approve of this desalination plant," Professor Kaemphf.

 

"Approval would be evidence of gross failure of the environment protection legislation in Australia."