Mining and Petroleum

Thursday, 11 May 2017

Last night, the WA Greens gave notice during the opening of the 40^th Parliament they would introduce a bill to rescind the sale of Utah Point Processing Facility in Port Hedland, keeping the asset in the hands of Western Australians.

Member for the Mining and Pastoral Region Robin Chapple MLC, who introduced the motion, said timing was critical if the sale was to be halted.

“It is essential that we reverse the privatisation agenda of the former Barnett government before it is too late; profitable state-owned assets are critical to long-term economic security in WA.

“Furthermore, the Utah Point facility is a significant local job creator in the Port Hedland region and selling it could diminish its contribution to the struggling local economy. Profit-driven multinationals will continue to drive jobs offshore, as we have seen over the last decade, putting further pressure on our regional centres.

“The Labor Party campaigned strongly against the privatisation of Western Power throughout the election and strongly opposed the sale of Utah Point in the 39^th Parliament.

“By coming into power we would like to congratulate the Labor Party on halting the potentially disastrous sale of Western Power, and are hopeful they will extend the commitment to other important public assets.”

Media contact: Tim Oliver 0431 9696 25                                                                                                     

WA Greens MLC Robin Chapple, a Kimberley resident, said he was astounded to learn oil and gas exploration could be allowed in several National Parks and conservation areas without even a requirement for it to always be referred to the EPA.

“Surely, simply by virtue of being National Parks and nature reserves, these incredible and unique Kimberley places would be considered ‘environmentally sensitive areas’ and therefore should be referred to the EPA in all instances and at all stages,” Mr Chapple said.

“In dealing with the Alumina Refinery (Mitchell Plateau) Agreement (Termination) Bill 2015 the government went to great lengths to tell us that in adding the Mitchell Plateau area to the proposed Kimberley National Park, extractive industries would not be allowed in that area.

“It is absolutely shocking to me that other fantastic National Parks in the Kimberley - Windjana Gorge, Tunnel Creek, Devonian Reef Conservation Park and Brooking Gorge Conservation Park - would be considered for such large scale onshore gas production at a time when we already have a huge excess of off-shore gas production.

“There is a myth being perpetuated by Industry that gas is somehow clean, or a necessary transition fuel away from reliance on coal, or both!! But we have the technology now to move past fossil fuels, and it is improving rapidly.

“By the time we build the necessary infrastructure to move from reliance on coal to a gas-based system, including onshore gas fields to produce that gas, it is realistic to assume that renewable energy production will far exceed it economically if it doesn’t already.

“The Kimberley is one of Australia’s last great untouched wildernesses and has so much more value to us now, and in the future, if it remains that way.”

Media contact: Tim Oliver 0431 9696 25

Wednesday, 2 November

WA Greens MLC Robin Chapple said new National Party policy giving fracking veto rights to farmers, announced at the state conference in Geraldton last weekend, did nothing to protect the rights of Traditional Owners who are opposed to the practice.

“Whilst I applaud the National Party for finally backing the rights of their constituents on the issue of fracking, this policy change is really quite discriminatory towards Aboriginal people,” Mr Chapple said.

“Traditional Owners, farmers and other landholders currently only have the right to negotiate under the Petroleum and Geothermal Energy Resources Act; they can either come to an agreement and get something, or oppose entirely and get nothing.

“It really irks me that the National Party would come to a unanimous decision over the rights of Farmers, but ignore the rights of such a large portion of their constituency in providing those same right to Native Title holders.

“The implications of this policy announcement are especially huge in the Kimberley, given Andrew Forrest’s Squadron Energy has this week announced a partnership with controversial Goshawk Energy over more than 220,000 sq km of tenements in the Canning Basin.

“The WA Greens oppose on shore gas development, particularly by hydraulic fracturing, on the basis gas is not a clean transition fuel and the industry is unnecessary given the risks to the environment, water reserves and human health.”

For more information please contact Tim Oliver on 0431 9696 25

Thursday, 20^th October 2016

The WA Greens have criticised the Nationals after they have continued to support the Government’s position on the sale of Utah Point in Port Hedland.

“The Nationals say they are for small miners, but they have supported a bill that benefits big business and leaves small miners in the dust” WA Greens spokesperson for mining, Robin Chapple MLC said. 

“Utah Point is the only facility in Port Hedland that is not owned and utilised by either BHP, FMG or Roy Hill, and it allows small miners to compete.

“The Bill proposes the privatisation of Utah point, a move which could allow foreign investors or huge mining companies to move in and price their smaller competitors out of existence.

“The Nationals are hypocritical - they want to tax BHP and RIO Tinto, but they won't protect small miners.

“They supported recommendations from the Committee to limit the effect of privatisation, but won't support the Greens amendments which mirror those recommendations, and have the full support of small miners.

“The WA Greens have consistently stood up for the rights of small miners to access Port Hedland and we wholly oppose the privatisation, via the Pilbara Port Assets (Disposal) Bill 2015, altogether.

“However, If the sale goes ahead we believe Utah Point should only be reserved for small miners and should not be leased to the highest bidder.

“If the Nationals really wanted to protect regional jobs, as they claim, then they should have the fortitude to stand withsmaller miners and not only support our amendments, but wholly oppose the privatisation of Utah Point facility.”

Legislative council have been debating the Bill since March. 

For more information please contact Tim Oliver on 08 9486 8255 or 0431 9696 25.

Tuesday, 27 September

WA Greens Senator Scott Ludlam and Robin Chapple MLC have today questioned the EPA’s approval for preparatory works at the proposed Mulga Rock uranium mine, which is yet to be approved and currently subject to an appeal.

“Today’s approval for preparatory works at Mulga Rocks exposes the sham of the assessment and appeals process; the EPAs decision today is at odds with the intention of the Environmental Protection Act 1986,” Mr Chapple said.

“There has been serious public backlash against the project reflected in numerous appeals being lodged against the project, including from Traditional Owners and people in the local community.

“There is a race on in WA to get uranium mines approved before the State election. This ambition is ridiculous given the widespread opposition to the industry and the market conditions which are prohibitive to new mines.”

“World-wide we’re seeing uranium mines close and others put in to care and maintenance. Vimy Resources may have some political influence and big benefactors like Andrew Forrest, but none of these things will make this mine profitable or socially acceptable,” Senator Ludlam said.

“The EPA’s response to Vimy’s aggressive approach to starting this mine is not just a demonstration of a poor and non-transparent process, it is a slap in the face for the public and local community that have engaged in good faith in a process which is in essence a fait accompli.

“While the process is broken, the resolve of communities to fight this project is very much alive and well.”

For more information please contact Tim Oliver on 08 9486 8255 or 0431 9696 25

Friday, 26 August

WA Greens Member for the Mining and Pastoral Region Robin Chapple MLC has labelled the ongoing debate around iron ore royalties, initiated by new Nationals leader Brendon Grylls, ‘naïve in the extreme’.

“I made the point, in an adjournment speech in the upper house last Tuesday, that any proposed changes to State Agreement Acts in Western Australia could pose significant sovereign risk issues,” Mr Chapple said.

“Furthermore, if you plan to tackle royalty issues embedded in state agreement acts then why not include other significant producers such as FMG and Roy Hill, and other linked industries such as Magnetite?

“I have opposed every State Agreement Act that has gone through the legislative council whilst Mr Grylls party has done the exact opposite; this proposal stinks of hypocrisy.

“Whilst the WA Greens are strongly supportive of the principal in Mr Grylls announcement, this is not the appropriate method of going about it.

 “As a side to this debate, it is important to remember that the portion of GST share we are receiving as a state is based on the iron ore boom where prices soared to more than $120 per tonne.

“We cannot continue to throw WA’s share of the GST around as a solution to our fiscal woes; our share will be corrected in time but in the mean time we should be focusing on diversification to ensure we are never in this situation again.”

Monday, 8 August

WA Greens MLC Robin Chapple has called on new Nationals leader, Brendon Grylls, to justify his plans for a levy on iron ore super profits.

“The Greens have always advocated for large mining corporations, particularly those making super profits, to pay a higher tax rate or royalty on those minerals,” Mr Chapple said.

“So it is really astounding to me that the National Party - who have opposed similar measures in the past - may now be heading to the next state election on that platform.

“It also seems illogical not to include other significant producers such as FMG and Roy Hill, and other linked industries such as Magnetite, while they’re at it!

“It is concerning to me that the old parties continue to see progress, and the future of our state, through a lens of iron ore when the impacts this tunnel vision has had on our economy are so glaringly obvious.

“Western Australia is suffering economically because there has been no foresight beyond mining, and there has been very little investment into new and innovative industries that our state has a great potential for that is still yet to be realised.”