Fracking in WA

Fracking inquiry scope of consultation must be expanded to get bigger picture

Thursday, 2 November 2017

The WA Greens have questioned the government on the scope of their independent fracking inquiry, after stakeholders raised significant concerns there would only be three community consultation meetings; one each in Perth, the Mid-West and the Kimberley.

Mines and Petroleum spokesperson Robin Chapple MLC said the timeline of the inquiry, which is due to report its findings by August 2018 and will hold all of its community consultation in a 2 month period over Christmas, only added to his concerns that the process would be rushed.

“Quite clearly one year is nowhere near enough time to consult with all of the individuals, communities and stakeholders who have an interest in the future, or lack thereof, of fracking in the state of Western Australia,” Mr Chapple said.

“You cannot hold a single community meeting in the Kimberley and then claim you’ve undertaken consultation for the region; there are literally hundreds of different stakeholders just in that region alone and they all deserve an equal opportunity to be heard.

“I guarantee you that every single energy company who has even the slightest interest in developing parts of our beautiful, fragile state for unconventional gas production will get a hearing with this inquiry.

“So too should every single farmer, every single remote community member, every single community that has declared themselves gas-field free and any other individual or group who has a genuine interest or concern about this industry.

“It is common practice with inquiries of this nature for an interim report to be handed down and further consultation to be undertaken if necessary. If the scope of this inquiry is not significantly expanded then it is in very serious danger of becoming a rubber stamp.”

Please see attached answer recieved last night regarding the fracking inquiry Terms of Reference.

Media contact:

Tim Oliver – 08 9486 9965 // 0431 9696 25

Fracking policy weaker in practice than election commitment: Greens

Wednesday, 6 September

The WA Greens have labelled the Government’s policy announcement on fracking yesterday as weak and a far cry from the rock solid commitment offered before the March election.

Mines and Petroleum Spokesperson Robin Chapple MLC said the Government’s position had been significantly watered down in practice, and that any policy measure implemented by regulation would never be permanent.

“Communities in the South West who’ve been waiting for Labor to follow through with their commitment to ban fracking should be concerned; an unlegislated ban can be removed at the stroke of a pen, such as straight after Labor lose an election,” Mr Chapple said.

“What is needed, and what we have been hoping for from this Government, is a legislated ban that would need the support of both houses of Parliament to be overturned.

“It also still concerns me greatly that Labor have only extended the commitment to the South West, ignoring the other significant areas of our beautiful state that are under much more immediate threat from the industry.

“Regardless of who is in Government, the outcomes for communities in the North of our state are always less than the outcomes for communities closer to Perth. I call on the Government to articulate why only a partial ban will be implemented for the South-West, Peel and Perth regions.

“I would also ask the state Government whether they will honour the gas field-free declarations of communities and Traditional Owners, regardless of the outcomes of the Enquiry, and to release the terms of reference as soon as possible.”

Media contact: Tim Oliver 0431 9696 25

Fracking ban to protect the Kimberley’s precious places: Greens

Friday, 27 January
Liz Vaughan, Greens candidate for the Kimberley, is calling for a ban on fracking and unconventional gas across the region saying the risks of pollution to the Fitzroy River, Roebuck Plains, town drinking water supplies and tourism hotspots like Windjana Gorge and Tunnel Creek is too high.
“Gas fracking has been shown to contaminate water with toxic chemicals, once they’re in the system there’s no way of cleaning them up. People rely on clean, freshwater across the Kimberley not just to drink but also because it’s essential to keep species like Barramundi and Cherabin healthy,”
“I’d like to call on the other parties to clarify their position on fracking because people across the region are very concerned and want to know who to vote for to protect their water and their country; they need to spell out their position.
“The Nationals have declared they support veto rights for farmers, but have not extended this support to Traditional owners. Labor have declared they want a moratorium for more research into the practice, despite overwhelming evidence on the dangers of this industry, and will only support a ban in the South West.
“The WA Greens are the only party who recognise that this risky, polluting and unnecessary industry is a threat to our water, our country and the future of our precious places; the WA Greens support a total ban on fracking and unconventional gas in the Kimberley, and across WA.
“The Kimberley has one of the world’s most intact landscapes and the oldest living culture. The industry of the future for the Kimberley is tourism and we should be doing everything we can to ensure that we protect what we have, and invest in its future as the Kimberley.
“Industry reports state there is potential for more than 40,000 gas fracking wells in the region. This would threaten our reputation as an environmental and cultural tourism destination – the last great untouched wilderness - and be a disaster for industries trading on environmentally friendly products and this image of the Kimberley.”
Media contact:
Tim Oliver 0431 9696 25 / 08 9486 8255

WA must follow Victoria’s leadership on gas

Tuesday, 22nd November 2016

WA Greens MLC Robin Chapple said today that Western Australia should be looking to follow Victoria’s lead in banning unconventional onshore gas exploration and development after the March 2017 state election.

“In Victoria you had a Liberal government that introduced a moratorium and now a Labor government that has backed it up with an outright ban on all unconventional gas exploration and development, covering shale, tight and CSG plays,” Mr Chapple said.

“Meanwhile, WA is floundering under both a government and opposition that shy away from real leadership on an issue that has widespread public support.

“The Barnett government has failed to promote any real expansion of the onshore gas industry in the last 8 years, despite providing royalty rate reductions, removing environmental approvals for exploration and considering tenements in some of our state’s most beautiful, untouched National Parks.

“Furthermore, the Labor party have failed to capitalise on this apathy and continue to sit on the fence politically despite the public shouting for them to have a stronger position on the industry’s future.

“The WA Greens will continue to fight for a ban on the large scale introduction of these unnecessary practices in Western Australia, and to challenge the myth that gas is a clean transition fuel.

“Here in WA we have abundant renewable energy resources and significant technological and entrepreneurial capacities. The Greens will continue to fight to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and push for transition to new and prosperous industries in a clean energy economy.”

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews introduced the Resources Legislation Amendment (Fracking Ban) Bill 2016 into the Victorian Parliament this morning.

Media contact: Tim Oliver 0431 9696 25 // 08 9486 9965

Oil and gas exploration tenements should not be allowed in the Kimberley National Parks

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

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