Protecting The Kimberley

Greens Member for the Mining and Pastoral Region Robin Chapple MLC has today criticized the Barnett-Grylls Government State Agreement with Energy Companies Buru and Mitsubishi Corporation saying the move would commit the State to continuing the destructive practice of fracking and the release of huge amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere through burning fossil fuels.

“By the Premier’s own admission, the main beneficiaries of the Agreement will be the mining companies exporting iron ore, alumina, base metals and gold,” Mr Chapple said.

“I am deeply disturbed at his constant deal-making with mining companies and his scant regard for the natural environment and Indigenous heritage, which have already been compromised as a result of the careless actions of Buru and Mitsubishi.”

“It seems the Premier is especially keen to give a hand to magnetite production in the Pilbara and Mid-West.

“Mr Barnett likes to refer to the Canning Basin fossil fuel as ‘natural’ gas but nothing could be further from the truth.

“There is nothing natural about fracking deep below the earth’s surface to release the unconventional gas trapped below.

Mr Chapple did however welcome the Premier’s statement that the Canning Basin gas would be piped to the Pilbara, rather than the Kimberley, for processing before being sent further afield.

“I remain concerned at the Premier’s cavalier attitude when it comes to doing deals on the State’s resources, which are finite.

For more information please contact Robin Chapple on 0409 379 263 or 9486 8255

Questions asked on the Browse (Land) Agreement Bill 2012 introduced by Brendan Gryllsinto parliament have revealed that other gas Hubs on the Kimberley coast are possible.

This is an appalling travesty of what the Kimberley community have been led to believe.

Answers now reveal that other LNG facilities can be developed along the coast if the gas comes from onshore rather than offshore fields.

A “The Browse (Land) Agreement does not preclude development along the Kimberly coast for purposes other than for those activities indicated in clause 8 of the Browse (Land) Agreement however it is this Government's policy that the Browse LNG Precinct will be developed as a single site for all LNG development on the Kimberley coastline.”

This answer refers to a current Government policy which has no legal stature and can be changed by this government and any future government at any time without reference to the signatories to this agreement.

It will now be imperative that this agreement contained in the Browse (Land) Agreement Bill 2012 be revisited to legally exclude other LNG facilities and ports being built to process gas from onshore fields along the Kimberley coast.

For more information please contact Robin Chapple on 0409 379 263 or 9486 8255– Chris Maher on 0418 905 244

8. Limitation of further LNG Development on the Kimberley Coastline

(a)     The State agrees not to:

(i)      operate, authorise or permit the operation of; or

(ii)     Grant any right, title, interest, approval or permission which would have the effect of authorising, a Gas Processing Facility located on the Kimberley Coastline but outside the LNG Precinct.

(b)     In paragraph (a), Gas Processing Facility means a facility for the liquefaction of Petroleum produced from any area seaward of the low watermark of themainland coast of Western Australia, but does not include:

(i)      any other facility which uses or refines Petroleum; or

(ii)     storage or transportation facilities.