In a hastily written media release late on June 7 2002, the Government stated gravely that industries would flee to unregulated third world gas fields if Western Australia showed some sense and chose the more appropriate place to site the industry.
“All people are saying is that we should put industry in the Maitland industrial estate, and leave the world's most significant outdoor art gallery alone,' Mr Chapple said. “We have no problems with industries processing natural gas into clean burning fuels, so I'm not sure what the Government is trying to imply with these weird statements.'
“In all of this, where are the Indigenous voices? Did the Government ask the Traditional Owners of the area what they wanted for the Burrup, or did they just send a pack of lawyers around with an offer to take it or leave it?'
“This is a Government which has clearly not spent a lot of time worrying about climate change up until now. Are they really telling the public that forcing a whole heap of petrochemical companies to wreck the Burrup Peninsula is the State's answer to global warming?'
“If the proponents are getting worried, it is because the Government has thus far refused to cotton on to the bleeding obvious. The gas is there. The industrial estate is there. A whole range of stakeholders from across the political spectrum have made their feelings plain. Stay off the Burrup,' Mr Chapple concluded.
