Greens member for the Mining and Pastoral Region Robin Chapple MLC has responded with incredulity to the State Government’s decision to release the Environmental Protection Authority’s Assessment report into the Browse LNG Precinct at James Price Point.
“The Government has set a new, even lower standard in environmental protection,” Mr Chapple said.
“The Minister for the Environment’s action in releasing the report of the EPA Chairman, who was the sole Board member left after the other four members were stood aside because of conflicts of interest in relation to Woodside, may well be legal but it lacks integrity.
“The report is marred by a lack of professionalism and independence, which should be the necessary hallmarks of the EPA.
“The process has been dogged by drama and incompetence andmuch of the science that the recommendations are based upon has been criticized by peer review, including the failure to find Bilbies and understating the significance of the dinosaur footprints, which are internationally lauded.
“To allow just two weeks for appeals to be prepared in response to the 379-page report is unreasonable and unjust and adds insult to injury.
“The Barnett-Grylls Government, who is the proponent of the development, has made no secret of the fact that they will stop at nothing to ensure the Browse LNG precinct goes ahead at James Price Point.
“So it is no surprise that the EPA has made recommendations for conditional approval of the project, what else would they do!
“This is politics at its worst and I see no reason for the public to have any confidence in the WA government ruling for any except the corporate end of town.
“The Federal Government must step in and prevent this environmental vandalism from taking place.”
For more information please contact Robin Chapple on 0409 379 263 or 9486 8255
Greens Member for the Mining and Pastoral Region Robin Chapple MLC has lashed out at the State Government over its latest intervention to force the Browse LNG hub development to go ahead at James Price Point.
“The decision by Planning Minister John Day to intervene in a matter that is before the Supreme Court is reprehensible in the extreme,” Mr Chapple said.
“This is the action of a Government that is out of control and that will stop at nothing to facilitate big business from having its way.
“This is not a government for the people; it’s a government for the big end of town and one that is ignoring, nay flying in the face of, all other interests and depriving its citizens of their rights by simply changing the laws when it doesn’t suit Government’s interests.
“This government seems to think it’s above the law and I wish Richard Hunter well in his Supreme Court Appeal against Woodside’s access to land that holds significant Aboriginal heritage values.
“Not only has Minister Day undermined the rights of the Traditional land owners by his actions, he has thumbed his nose at the Shire of Broome and the local community, eighty percent of whom are opposed to the development.
“This project is a shambles that gets worse every day.
“The Planning Minister’s decision has come hard on the heels of revelations that four out of five members of the Environmental Protection Authority have had to be barred from contributing to a report relating to the location of the Browse LNG precinct at James Price Point because of conflicts of interest, leaving the Chairman Dr Paul Vogel to act alone in handing down his recommendations.
For more information please contact Robin Chapple on 0409 379 263 or 9486 8255
