The builders of the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) radio telescope in the Northern Cape hope to co-exist with shale gas prospectors, but if needs be will invoke new astronomy laws to protect their interests, MPs heard on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
“We’re looking for a co-existence with fracking,” science and technology department chief director for astronomy Val Munsami told Parliament’s science and technology portfolio committee.<\/p>\n
Construction on phase one of the SKA — which on completion will be the world’s biggest radio telescope — is set to start in 2018, centred on a site about 90km north-west of Carnarvon.<\/p>\n
Work is currently under way there to build a precursor telescope, known as MeerKAT, which comprises 64 antenna dishes. These will eventually be incorporated into the SKA.<\/p>\n
An area hundreds of kilometres across — protected in terms of radio interference and light pollution, and known as the Karoo Central Astronomy Advantage Area — has been declared around the site.<\/p>\n
Munsami said his department would first seek to co-exist peacefully with so-called frackers drilling for shale gas.<\/p>\n
“But we’re also mindful that there might be instances where we will collide.”<\/p>\n
If this happened, the department would look to provisions of the 2007 Astronomy Geographic Advantage (AGA) Act for protection.<\/p>\n
“This is why we have the AGA Act, which preserves and protects the astronomy facilities and investments that we have made so far.”<\/p>\n
Members of his department were currently working closely with their counterparts in mineral resources.<\/p>\n
“In fact, we form part of the monitoring committee for fracking. And so we look [after] the astronomy interest in that [forum].<\/p>\n
“And so what’s very important is that as the exploitation, exploration licences are being dished out, we have to be mindful of what the requirements are for the astronomy.”<\/p>\n
Munsami said the existence of “buffer zones” around the astronomy facilities in the Northern Cape had to be taken into account when it came to fracking licences.<\/p>\n
“And so what’s very important is that there must be concurrence… from the [science and technology] minister around any licences for exploitation and exploration around fracking,” he said.<\/p>\n
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