Kokatha names (recommended by the KAC Negotiation Team) for key Northern Water Project infrastructure on Kokatha Country, have now been approved by the KAC Board and provided to Northern Water.
This is an important step in ensuring our language and culture are recognised throughout the project.
The following names will be displayed on the infrastructure alongside Kokatha artwork:
Kalaya Pump Station (Kootaberra) — Kalaya meaning emuMangata Pump Station (Oakden Hills) — Mangata meaning wild peach/quandongBimba Storage Tank (Pimba) — Bimba meaning pine, the original Kokatha name for the areaThese names will be displayed on the infrastructure alongside Kokatha artwork.
The Negotiation Team, made up of representatives from the CHC, KAC Board, KAC Heritage Services and Kokatha Enterprise, has met regularly with Northern Water throughout the year to negotiate an Indigenous Land Use Agreement (ILUA) for the proposed pipeline.
The Northern Water Project is still in its planning phase. It includes a proposed 275km pipeline on Kokatha Country (see map), and the State Government is yet to make a final decision.
Delays following a review of the desalination plant site mean that, if approved, first water is now expected in 2032.
Heritage surveys have been completed along most of the route, with adjustments made to avoid cultural heritage.
A Cultural Heritage Management Plan (CHMP) is in place for geotechnical work, with further plans under development for future works.
KAC will continue to keep members updated as negotiations progress.
Pictures – a map of the proposed pipeline and photos of a visit by the Negotiation Team to some of the locations the pipeline will travel through (if approved) near Woomera.
