WESTERN Australia’s mining industry and the scientific community claim to be pleased with new regulations governing activity around the proposed $2 billion Square Kilometre Array radio telescope in the Mid West.
Last year, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) started a public consultation process proposing to strengthen the astronomy project’s ‘radio-quiet zone’.
This is a key factor in Australia’s chances of winning the SKA project; the alternative site is in South Africa.
The ACMA established the radio-quiet zone in 2005 to maintain an area free from radio transmissions at the SKA site, 300 kilometres north-west of Geraldton near Boolardy Station.
During the past five years, the site has become home to major national and international radio astronomy projects, including the Australian SKA Pathfinder and the Murchison Widefield Array.
The region is also home to several major iron ore developments, including the Jack Hills and Weld Range iron ore mines.
In addition, a railway line to service these mines has been planned by Oakajee Port and Rail under an agreement with the state government.
ACMA initially proposed to introduce a ‘band plan’ to extend the restricted zone from 70 to 100km from the radius of the SKA site, and extend the lower boundary of the protected frequency range from 100 MHz to 70MHz.
However, last December, the state and federal governments issued a joint communiqué in support of a 70km radius zone where radio astronomy would be the primary activity, and a 70-150km radius zone where ‘co-existence’ would apply.
Following submissions from local industry, ACMA agreed to mirror the communiqué by introducing a shared-usage zone from 70km to 150km in which radio astronomy and industry would collaborate on usage.
“The new measures continue to provide for radio quiet while supporting the use of spectrum by other users and placing the lowest feasible burden on industry in the region,” ACMA Chairman Chris Chapman said.
Geraldton Iron Ore Alliance CEO Rob Jefferies said amendments to the Band Plan reflected extensive discussions by the alliance with the federal government.
“It’s been a very productive exercise; it’s a win for the industry, but also a win for the SKA, because what it brings with it is a strong level of collaboration between the major (mining) projects and the SKA project,” he said.
In its submission to ACMA, OPR said any proposal for a new radio quiet zone regime had to be consistent with the principles of the communiqué.
“It is inconsistent for it now to be asserted that a radio-quiet zone of a 100 kilometre radius is essential for the radio-quiet zone of the SKA site, as this will significantly constrain, if not prevent, the very mining and rail activities which were expressly contemplated by, among others, CSIRO at the time the SKA site was chosen,” it said.
OPR’s proposed rail network is 79.6km from the centre of the SKA site, with Crossland Resources’ Jack Hills mine located 96km from the site and Sinosteel’s Weld Range tenements 79km from the site.
CSIRO’s Bryan Boyle, who heads up Australia’s SKA bid, said he was pleased with the amended ‘band plan’ and the radio-quiet protection it would afford.
“It’s an excellent outcome for radio astronomy and all stakeholders; it’s a good win-win solution for us and from the point of view of the SKA, I’m confident that this will provide the protection that we need in order to really put our best foot forward,” Dr Boyle said.
