# Adelaide International Bird Sanctuary National Park

The Adelaide International Bird Sanctuary National Park (Winaityinaityi Pangkara, pronounced "Wee-nay-chi-nay-chi pan-ker-a" in the indigenous Kaurna language, meaning "country belonging to all birds") is a protected area in South Australia established by the South Australian government on the northeast coast of Gulf St Vincent, between Parham in the north and the southern end of Barker Inlet (part of the Port River estuary) in the south. Its purpose is to rehabilitate land used as salt pans, protect habitat for international migratory shorebirds, manage water quality in adjoining parts of Gulf St Vincent, create "green" space, develop niche tourism and create opportunities for indigenous people.
This very low-gradient, low-energy coastline, containing a broad lateral extent of subtidal seagrass meadows, intertidal mangroves and supratidal saltmarshes and salinas, extends from the Adelaide metropolitan area as far as the head of Gulf St Vincent, and is also known as the "Samphire Coast". The coastline north of Parham, outside the proposed sanctuary, also has a high degree of protection through being in the Port Wakefield Proof and Experimental Establishment, and the Clinton Conservation Park.

## Key objectives

The Adelaide International Bird Sanctuary is a protected area established by the SA government for the northeast coast of Gulf St Vincent extending from Adelaide to its immediate north with the view of achieving the five key outcomes:$^{:7}$
* Protection of habitat particularly used by shorebirds that migrate over large extents of the Earth's surface.$^{:11}$
* Management of water quality in Gulf St Vincent particularly in respect to stormwater and wastewater produced in the northern suburbs of Adelaide and its treatment prior to release into Gulf St Vincent.
* Creation of "green" space on the fringes of the northern Adelaide Plains that will allow stormwater recycling, absorb carbon dioxide and enhance the amenity and attractiveness of the region.
* Tourism development that provide opportunities for developing exclusive, high-end tourism experiences with a focus on national and international birdwatchers.
* Indigenous involvement via measures to employ and engage Aboriginal people and use Indigenous knowledge to develop and implement environmental and cultural heritage education and interpretation programs.
A driver for the proposal is the need to rehabilitate land previously used at Dry Creek, St Kilda and other localities as salt pans and managing the environmental risks arising from the cessation of the salt evaporation process, such as exposing of acid sulphate soils.$^{:5,10}$

## Extent

The Adelaide International Bird Sanctuary extends from Barker Inlet in the south to Parham in the north over a distance of 60 kilometres (37 miles). Its extent overlaps and adjoins existing protected areas such as the Port Gawler and Torrens Island conservation parks, the Upper Gulf St Vincent Marine Park, the Barker Inlet-St Kilda Aquatic Reserve, the St Kilda – Chapman Creek Aquatic Reserve and the Adelaide Dolphin Sanctuary.$^{:19}$ $^{:17}$
The sanctuary also includes 228 hectares (560 acres) of land that adjoins the Port Gawler Conservation Park and Buckland Park lake, which was purchased in 2013 by the SA government with financial contributions from Nature Foundation SA and Birds SA.$^{:17}$ In 2014 the sanctuary was proclaimed a conservation park under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972, to "provide one of the highest levels of protection allowed for by state legislation".$^{:17}$

## Timeline

The South Australian government committed to the proposal at the state election held in March 2014 and the 2014–15 state budget included expenditure of A$300,000 to commence work.
In August 2014, the government announced it had purchased, for A$2 million, 2300 hectares (5700 acres) of land formerly held by salt operators, but undeveloped. The government also committed to spend A$1.7 million over 4 years for the sanctuary's establishment and maintenance, with planned completion in 2018.
Land in the localities of Windsor, Dublin and Lower Light was proclaimed as a national park under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972 in 2016.