Local jobs, economy threatened by desal plant

While jobs in the seafood and aquaculture industry are the most directly threatened by the proposed desal plant in Boston Bay, they’re not the only ones.

That’s why more than 50 local businesses support the Hands Off Boston Bay campaign and have taken petitions into their places of business, concerned about the ripple effects that placing a desal plant in Boston Bay will have not only on marine life but on the local community.

Those businesses include tourism operators. Boston Bay and its marine life attract hundreds of tourists a year to the area, from those who wish to swim amongst the marine life up close to those who want to fish. Other businesses that rely on the tourism trade are wine and fine food operators.

Campaign Ambassador and former Business and Community Manager at the Bendigo and Adelaide Bank, Phil Channon, is concerned about the dampening impact that a desal plant might have on the area.

“A lot of local businesses have raised concerns with me about the impact a desalination plant could have on our regional economy,'“ said Mr Channon.

“Boston Bay generates around $200mn worth of revenue every year just in the aquaculture and fishing industries. On top of that is the revenue generated by tourism, which then flows into hospitality and businesses that feed all those industries.”

“People don’t understand why the government would punish regional businesses and risk local jobs off the back of an already terrible year for small businesses impacted by COVID. They don’t understand why for $80 million more dollars they wouldn’t build a desal plant in Sleaford Bay where there’s no industry,” said Mr Channon.

These questions are ones that the Hands off Boston Bay coalition will be asking state and federal politicians.