Ministerial Release: No sale of Kangaroo Island waterfront land

Waterfront land near Pelican Lagoon on Kangaroo Island will not be sold, Minister for Environment and Water David Speirs has announced.

Mr Speirs said he had decided to retain a waterfront coastal reserve to allow ongoing public access to the clifftop, and negotiate a lease with golf course developer Kangaroo Island Links for the non-waterfront sections of the land, which is about 20 kilometres from Kingscote.

“The State Government had listened closely to the concerns of the Kangaroo Island community,” he said.

“A section of the land will be subdivided to create a coastal reserve that is approximately 50 metres wide, and we will now begin negotiations to lease the balance of the three parcels of land to KI Links.

“The golf course development will also be dependent on a number of other regulatory conditions to ensure cultural heritage, native vegetation and threatened wildlife are protected, and criteria relating to appropriate land and water management will also have to be met.

“This decision in no way pre-empts the development assessment process, which is being carried out by the Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure.

“We have given careful consideration to community feeling and the requirements under the Crown Land Management Act, and assessed that this project is of value to the regional economy of Kangaroo Island and the wider South Australian community.”

KI Links plans to construct an 18-hole golf course, clubhouse, tourist accommodation and associated infrastructure on the land.

The project was originally declared a major development in 2014 and approved by the Governor in 2016.