South Australia

James Goodman; Gareth Bryant; Linda Connor; Devleena Ghosh; Jonathan Paul Marshall; Tom Morton; Katja Müller; Stuart Rosewarne; Riikka Heikkinen; Lisa Lumsden; Mareike Pampus; Priya Pillai

doi:10.1017/9781009485609.006

5 - South Australia

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 20 June 2025

Jonathan Paul Marshall ,

Tom Morton ,

Riikka Heikkinen and

James Goodman: Affiliation:
University of Technology Sydney
Gareth Bryant: Affiliation:
University of Sydney
Linda Connor: Affiliation:
University of Sydney
Devleena Ghosh: Affiliation:
University of Technology Sydney
Jonathan Paul Marshall: Affiliation:
University of Technology Sydney
Tom Morton: Affiliation:
Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg
Katja Müller: Affiliation:
Merseburg University for Applied Sciences
Stuart Rosewarne: Affiliation:
University of Sydney
Riikka Heikkinen: Affiliation:
University of Technology Sydney
Lisa Lumsden: Affiliation:
University of Technology Sydney
Mareike Pampus: Affiliation:
Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg
Priya Pillai: Affiliation:
University of Technology Sydney

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Summary

The chapter focuses on South Australia’s Upper Spencer Gulf region in South Australia, which now aspires to 500% renewable energy by 2050. The state has access to world-best onshore wind and solar, with downstream industrial linkages that are now fuelling new spatio-temporal planning horizons. While the state promotes the new energy industry as a ‘green’ industrial economy, ethnographic research reveals mixed outcomes. Local socio-ecological relations are changing favourably for some groups, such as for host landowners and Aboriginal native title holders. Others find themselves left out or further marginalised. Post-construction, renewable energy installations offer few jobs, in localities where unemployment rates are high. Dissatisfaction erupts during the project application processes, where the limits of local demands for meaningful involvement, equitable sharing of benefits, and accountable planning regulation become clear. These, we argue, pose significant threats to the social legitimacy of renewable energy.

Keywords

Australia energy transition large-scale wind large-scale solar social impacts South Australia ethnography

Information

Type: Chapter
Information: Decarbonising Electricity
The Promise of Renewable Energy Regions
, pp. 171 - 215

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009485609.006 [Opens in a new window]

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Print publication year: 2025

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