Greens MLC Robin Chapple has criticized the heavy-handed tactics of the State Government in its deployment of a large contingent of police officers to Broome.
“This is a gratuitous over-reaction to lawful protests by members of the Broome community.
“The community is being bullied by the Premier’s insistence on the development of an LNG processing precinct at James Price Point in spite of comments from many quarters suggesting there are far better places to build the facility,” Mr Chapple said.
“To this end I have asked the Police Minister to justify the deployment of what is reported to be hundreds of police officers preparing to guard the interests of a private corporation against lawful protests by citizens of the state.
“If that’s not ‘Police State’ tactics I don’t know what is,” Mr Chapple said.
Mr Chapple said he hopes sanity will prevail and there won’t be a recurrence of last year’s police action.
“I sincerely hope that we won’t be seeing a repeat of last year’s clashes between protestors and police, when dozens of community members, including quite elderly men and women, were manhandled and moved off the road to let Woodside’s heavy earthmoving machinery pass.
“I call on the Premier to stop the deployment of police now, before anyone is hurt.
“Let him convince the community of the efficacy of the gas processing precinct if he can.
‘If not, he needs to swallow his pride and go back to the drawing board, sit down with Woodside and its joint venture partners, sit down with the community opposed to the development and come up with a solution.
“The thing that caused last year’s protests to become disorderly was not the actions of protesters but the huge influx of police using ram-raid tactics.”
For more information please contact Robin Chapple on 0409 379 263 or 9486 8255
Greens MLC Robin Chapple today condemned Barnett and Grylls’ second attempt at compulsory acquisition of James Price Point.
“Having failed in their first attempt to compulsorily acquire the land, the government was handed the opportunity to do the right thing. The state government should have taken the opportunity to consult and negotiate in good faith, to listen to the community, to support sustainable economic development.
“Instead Barnett and Grylls are attempting to use the ultimate power of the State, to take land, for one of the most unpopular development proposals ever considered in this state.
“In this day and age, it’s not acceptable for a government to forcibly acquire land for development – clearly against the wishes of the local community. Surely our democracy has reached a point where consultation is the key.
“The Broome community showed their view when over 5000 people rallied at Cable Beach against the gas proposal. That’s almost half the population of the town, rallying against the proposal.
“This gas proposal is opposed by the majority of the local community, it’s an environmental nightmare, and there’s growing analysis that it’s not economically viable.
“Premier Barnett and Lands Minister Grylls need to choose a new project to back – I suggest they look at the range of quality renewable energy projects that would benefit from government support.”
For more information please contact Robin Chapple on 0409 379 263 or 9486 8255
Greens MLC Robin Chapple said that Woodside’s decision to sell $1bn of the Browse LNG project was an opportunity for the company, its partners and prospective buyers to find a better location for the gas hub.
“Woodside’s decision for a $1 billion-plus auction of most of its 50 per cent stake in the Browse gas project is a tremendous reprieve for the ecological and cultural integrity of the Kimberley and a great opportunity for the Joint Venture partners to re-assess the location of the project”, Mr Chapple said.
“There are locations along our vast coastline that are less environmentally and culturally significant than James Price Point – which the Browse JV partners are very much aware of.”
“It is common knowledge that the James Price Point site was not the preferred location for several of the partners.”
“Woodside’s financial woes represents a chance for the partners and potential purchasers to more fully assess the huge social, heritage, and environmental impacts of a gas hub on the current site, as highlighted by the committed West Kimberley community who have opposed this project from the start.”
“I am fully confident that a comprehensive examination of the impacts of a gas hub at James Price Point would render an alternative site the more attractive option.”
Mr Chapple said that in any re-assessment of the Browse project, the Greens would demand that fugitive greenhouse gas emissions from the project – estimated to be up to 8 million tonnes per annum – be taken into account.
“The EPA and the Federal government must account for the massive carbon footprint of this project, and its impact on the State’s emissions targets to 2020 and beyond ahead of any final approval for gas processing”, Mr Chapple said.
For more information please contact Robin Chapple on 0409 379 263
Greens MLC Robin Chapple said that Woodside’s decision to delay its final investment decision on the Browse LNG project was an opportunity for the company and its partners to find a better location for the gas hub.
“Woodside’s decision to delay a final decision on Browse is a tremendous reprieve for the ecological and cultural integrity of the Kimberley and a great opportunity for the Joint Venture partners to re-assess the location of the project”, Mr. Chapple said.
“There are locations along our vast coastline that are less environmentally and culturally significant than James Price Point – which the Browse JV partners are very much aware of.”
“It is common knowledge that the James Price Point site was not the preferred location for several of the partners.”
“Woodside’s reluctance to commit to its current site represents a chance for the partners to more fully assess the huge social, heritage, and environmental impacts of a gas hub on the current site, as highlighted by the committed West Kimberley community who have opposed this project from the start.”
“I am fully confident that a comprehensive examination of the impacts of a gas hub at James Price Point would render an alternative site the more attractive option.”
Mr. Chapple said that in any re-assessment of the Browse project, the Greens would demand that fugitive greenhouse gas emissions from the project – estimated to be up to 8 million tonnes per annum – be taken into account.
“The EPA must account for the massive carbon footprint of this project, and its impact on the State’s emissions targets to 2020 and beyond ahead of any final approval for a future gas hub”, Mr. Chapple said.
For more information please contact Robin Chapple on 0409 379 263 or 9486 8255
