“My name is Aunty Sue Coleman-Haseldine, I am a Senior Googatha Elder from the Far West Coast of South Australia. I am calling on Minister of Environment and Water, Murray Watt to put a stop to rocket and military testing by private company Southern Launch. Southern Launch have been using my Country and Sacred sites as a test range for dangerous experimental launches without my consent, putting the delicate ecosystem and endangered animals at risk. I am worried for the animals with the fire hazard that these rockets cause and I am worried that my sacred sites will be destroyed by the falling debris. They are also putting me and my family at risk as we regularly make trips into the areas they launch these rockets to fulfil our cultural duties caring for the Land and many sacred  sites that are out there. They have launched multiple rockets now while I have been in the rocket range with full knowledge my safety was at risk.”

Southern Launch operate from Koonibba Test Range which covers 41,000 km squared of  Yellabinna Regional Reserve and Yumbarra Conservation Park. Both the reserve and the park are home to many endangered and threatened species such as the Golden Mole, Pink Cockatoo, Mallee Emu-Wren and Sand Hill Dunnart to name a few. It is also home to the only stunted mallee habitat in the world making it an invaluable resource to Australia’s biodiversity. 

Southern Launch rocket tests are experimental and as result extremely dangerous especially in such a fire vulnerable environment. Earlier this year the park and reserve experienced the largest fire in decades devastating thousands of acres of land which will take over a century to recover. The park and reserve will completely collapse if another fire happens. Despite this, Southern Launch continue to launch dangerous experimental rockets from companies such as AtSpace who had only ever had failed launches resulting in multiple fires (one catching on fire, two leaking fuel and the fourth losing control and crash landing) as well as Varda who are launching capsules at hypersonic speeds into dry scrub in the middle of summer with fragments frequently burning up and falling off.

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