Governments risk Kimberley by rushing to judgment on gas deal
17 Apr 2009
WWF-Australia today called on the Federal and Western Australian governments to publicly commit to their previous promise to undertake a full strategic assessment of sites outside the Kimberley before any final decision is made about where to process Browse Basin gas.
"The agreement reached yesterday between the Kimberley Land Council, the WA and Federal Governments, and Woodside, is not the 'green light' for the development; far from it," said Paul Gamblin, WWF Program Leader - West.
"There is a legally-binding, strategic environmental assessment that needs to be undertaken in the Kimberley before any formal decisions can be made. Importantly, this also requires governments to look to sites outside the Kimberley. Premier Barnett and Federal Ministers should suspend judgement about where the gas should be processed until the evidence is in. That means fully assessing Pilbara options."
"We already know that the Kimberley coast is of outstanding natural value, being one of the few tropical coastlines left on Earth largely free of harmful development. The stakes are very high."
WWF understands that the Kimberley Land Council has made the gas agreement strictly subject to environmental and heritage assessments.
"It is crucial that the free, prior and informed consent of Aboriginal people is sought for development. However, it is clear that the agreement for the LNG precinct has been made without anything like full information being delivered, which itself is putting many Kimberley Aboriginal people under enormous pressure on this issue."
"Scientific surveys of vulnerable species like dugong, the recently-discovered snubfin dolphin and threatened turtles are only just beginning, or are yet to be confirmed. Tourism impact studies are also just starting."
"There is a real risk that in the rush to find a location to process the gas, corners will be cut and that the collection and analysis of crucial information will not be treated in the rational, dispassionate manner it needs to be. This is tantamount to flying blind through the Himalaya."
"WWF acknowledges that Kimberley communities face very difficult decisions because many lack basic health and educational infrastructure, and economic opportunity, but governments and industry must be careful not to pitch such industrial projects as the panacea for these complex challenges."
For more information: Paula Schibeci, WWF Australia Press Office, 0406 381 137 Paul Gamblin, Program Leader - West, WWF-Australia, 0410 221 508
