Overview

WPA Extent

Vast Area

The Woomera Test Facility (WTF) corresponds physically to the Woomera Prohibited Area (WPA) and encloses 127,000 square kilometres of sparsely populated land in the north-west of South Australia. It is the largest land-based range in the world, equivalent in area to England and three times the size of the China Lake test range in California.

The WTF/WPA is administered by the Department of Defence and is specially designated under Commonwealth Government legislation for military test activities. The area is also used for non-military test programs of a civilian and commercial nature. The entire WTF is blanketed by Restricted Airspace which can be activated by NOTAMs to exclude air traffic during trial activities.

The land in the eastern two thirds of the WTF is owned by the South Australian Government except for small areas belonging to the Commonwealth Government. The land to the west of longitude 133 degrees is owned by the Maralinga Tjarutja Aboriginal community. A small region to the north is owned by the Pitjantjatjara community.

A number of pastoral stations and homesteads are located in the eastern section of the WTF, with the land being used for sheep and cattle grazing. Arrangements are made to evacuate pastoralists and other personnel on a short-term basis when necessary for the safe conduct of trial activities.

The terrain in the WTF is generally flat, and is characterised by a mixture of stone-covered ‘gibber’ plains, large sandy areas and normally dry salt-lakes. Vegetation typically comprises low saltbush and other desert shrubs, with areas of trees reaching a height of around four metres. Detailed information concerning the terrain in the WTF can be found in the Kingoonya and Marla-Oodnadatta soil conservation district plans.

Woomera Village and Woomera Airfield lie in the south-east corner of the WTF and provide a wide range of services in support of trial activities. The Woomera Rangehead is located at Koolymilka, approximately 40 km to the north-west of Woomera Village.

The former Joint Defence Facility Nurrungar lies approximately 15 km south of Woomera and is also administered by the Department of Defence. Maralinga Village and Maralinga Airfield are located in the far west, adjacent to the south-western extremity of the WTF.

Management of the WTF including operational control is the responsibility of the Director Woomera Test Facility, Aerospace Operational Support Group (AOSG) of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). Responsibility for Woomera Village including provision of services resides with the Manager Base Services who is also head of the Defence Centre Woomera.

Detailed information concerning the WTF including support available to range users is contained in the Woomera Test Facility Capability Brief.