Gas processing must come to mainland

August 27, 2002 - Chevron Texaco is currently seeking permission from the State Government for its Gorgon gas project to go to the A Class Nature reserve of Barrow Island.

'I find it completely distasteful on a number of grounds that the State Government has agreed to consider the Barrow option,' said Robin Chapple, Greens (WA) spokesperson on industrial development.

Barrow has previously been ruled out as a site for an LNG project because of serious environmental objections.

Mr Chapple met with the proponents on the 20th of this month and advised them that the development of Barrow was inappropriate for either their project or the following downstream developments.

'My concerns are simple,' said Mr Chapple, 'to establish a major gas complex offshore, will lead to all downstream processing also occurring on the island. This will deprive the regional communities on the mainland from any economic return and develop a new stream of fly-in fly-out workers.'

At the meeting on the 20th Mr Chapple was advised that if Gorgon develops on Barrow Island, the Sasol Chevron GTL plant would also be located on the island.

In the original plans the Gorgon proponents had looked at locating on the mainland.

'Gorgon must locate on the mainland at either Onslow or the Maitland Precinct near Karratha to provide economic and downstream development for the region.'

'I am sickened that the Government and Chevon are starting to resemble their mythological namesakes, the hideous Gorgon sisters, and I warn them to desist in this quest unless they wish to meet a similar fate...'

THE GORGONS

The gorgons were three sisters who lived at the end of the world, beyond the ocean, in the kingdom of Night. Two of the sisters, Stheno and Euryale were immortal, like the gods, but Medusa was as mortal as any human.

Originally the sisters had been beautiful maidens, but when Poseidon had courted Medusa, her pride in her beauty was so great that she had scornfully rejected the god's advances. In his fury, he had cursed Medusa and her sisters, so that they became monstrous creatures, with live snakes in place of their hair, and hideously deformed bodies. But Medusa's face remained beautiful. Somehow, the combination of the lovely face of the maiden and the writhing horror of the live snakes that covered her head was more terrible than any ordinary monster could be. Anyone who looked directly on the face of Medusa was immediately turned to stone.

Polydectes ordered Perseus to bring him the head of the gorgon Medusa.

Atheana appeared to Perseus while he was praying and offered him her polished shield, so that he could see the gorgon's reflection in the shield when he cut off her head, and not be turned to stone by looking directly on her face.

Perseus found the three gorgons asleep in their lair among the rocks at the end of the world. Looking at Medusa's reflection in the polished shield, and with Athena guiding his hand, he used a diamond-edged sword to cut off her head.

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