‘Hanging on by a thread’: 11th hour decision to protect endangered birds from SA space project plans welcomed
South Australia's Native Vegetation Council has rejected a developer's request to amend a heritage agreement, effectively blocking the proposed Whalers Way orbital launch complex. Conservation groups celebrated the decision as vital for protecting endangered bird species like the southern emu-wren.
Why it matters
The ruling highlights the ongoing tension between commercial space development and environmental conservation in ecologically sensitive habitats.
The Whalers Way ‘orbital launch complex’ on South Australia’s Eyre peninsula is home to southern Emu-wrens. Photograph: Mark Lethlean The Whalers Way ‘orbital launch complex’ on South Australia’s Eyre peninsula is home to southern Emu-wrens. Photograph: Mark Lethlean Australian climate and environmental reporting Conservation ‘Hanging on by a thread’: 11th hour decision to protect endangered birds from SA space project plans welcomed The Eyre peninsula site is ‘precious and important’ habitats for southern emu-wren and home to 80% of the mallee whipbird population
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About this content Petra Stock Wed 23 Sep 2026 23.00 EDT Last modified on Wed 23 Sep 2026 23.01 EDT Share Prefer the Guardian on Google Conservation groups have welcomed an 11th-hour decision to protect “precious and important habitat” on South Australia’s Eyre peninsula from plans for a rocket launching facility.
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