Gas: lifting the lid on Browse

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Kimberley Freshwater Campaign:

In March 2007, EK and the Australian Conservation Foundation launched the Kimberley Freshwater Campaign with the aim of securing long-term legal protection for the Fitzroy River in a way that is consistent with Traditional Owners’ rights and interests.
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Coast and Marine Issues:

The Kimberley coast is unique, fragile, magnificent and little-understood. Pressure on the Kimberley coast and marine environments is on the rise as more people move to the region, and road and air access improves even to the remotest of locations.

Enterprises such as holiday camps, charter boat and recreational fishing tours, iron ore mining, commercial fishing and crabbing, and pearl farm and aquaculture developments are increasing, and proposed marinas and a tidal dam threaten the integrity of the coastal environment.

There is no management plan for the natural resources of the Kimberley coastal and marine environments, and developments are proceeding ad hoc. Environs Kimberley has been busy campaigning on many coastal and marine matters. Click here for MORE info

Weeds and Biodiversity:

In 2007, Environs Kimberley commenced the Community WEED (Weed Education Eradication Delivery) Project as established by the Northern Rangelands Steering Committee. This Kimberley- based project was delivered in partnership with the Pilbara Community WEED project and Biodiversity Projects (Department of Environment and Conservation, Karratha). Click here for MORE info

Broome Community Seagrass Monitoring Project:

In 2007, Environs Kimberley, with the support of the Department of Environment and Conservation, Seagrass-Watch and Coastwest, initiated the Broome Community Seagrass Monitoring Project. The Project focused on the seagrass meadows occurring adjacent to the town of Broome in the internationally renowned Roebuck Bay.

Seagrass, a unique and highly productive coastal ecosystem, described by some as the rainforest of the oceans, supports a myriad of marine-life including many commercially significant fish and crustacean species.
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Cane Toads:

Cane toads are on the march and heading for the Kimberley. Environs Kimberley has joined other environmentalists, tourism operators, government officials, scientists, growers and others in trying to stop these creatures from invading WA.
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Stopping Cotton in the West Kimberley:

Our first and foremost campaign is to prevent the establishment of a cotton industry in the west Kimberley.

There are many issues involved in this campaign including: broad scale landclearing in areas that have never before been cleared; damming of wild rivers, most notably the Fitzroy River; extraction of 95% of the available groundwater from an aquifer south of Broome and privatization of water; introduction of genetically modified organisms into the Kimberley environment; and use of agricultural chemicals.

We are grateful to The Myer Foundation for their financial support for this campaign. Click here for MORE info

Ord River Irrigation Area:

Broadscale clearing for agriculture remains the single greatest threat to Australia’s biodiversity. As the pressure to develop increases, there is a real risk that the Kimberley will suffer the same fate as southern Australia, with over-clearing, degradation of the land and water, and pollution.

One area being targeted for broadscale irrigated agriculture is the land adjacent to the Ord River near Kununurra. The Ord River’s catchment spans the NT and WA border, falling predominantly within the Victoria-Bonaparte bioregion. It is the traditional land of the Miriuwung and Gajerrong people.
More: Ord River Irrigation Area (pdf 19kb)

Mining:

The Kimberley is rich not only in its biological but also in its mineral resources. These include diamonds, oil, iron ore, zinc, lead, nickel, copper, cobalt and mineral sands. Argyle Diamond Mine near Kununurra, and Cadjeput Mine, producing lead and zinc near Fitzroy Crossing, were in full swing long before Environs Kimberley was formed.

A big project to mine diamonds on Ellendale Station on a lease formerly held by CRA has been developing fast recently, and is moving into a nearby conservation park. EK fought another proposal, to mine kaolin on environmentally sensitive coastal land near Thangoo Station, through the Mining Warden’s Court, and celebrated its withdrawal last year.

A newer project is the Sally Malay nickel-copper-cobalt mine in the East Kimberley, and we recently investigated allegations of poor mining practices on Cockatoo Island. Click here for MORE info

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Indigenous Land and Sea Management:

Supporting the rights of the Kimberley’s Traditional Owners to manage and look after their country goes hand in hand with EK’s campaigns to protect the natural environment.

Environs Kimberley believes that Aboriginal Traditional Owners must play a prominent role in all decision-making that affects the region, benefit from industries and enterprises established here, and, through legislation, jointly manage the State’s conservation estate. More: contact Environs Kimberley

Tropical Timber Plantations:

A proposal to grow tropical timbers north of Broome is being closely monitored and questions are being raised about such an industry’s potential impact on the environment.

Issues include loss of natural vegetation and fauna through landclearing; draw down of water from local bores and the effect of agricultural chemicals used to control termites and other pests.
More: Tropical Timber Plantations

Tourism:

Every year, hundreds of thousands of tourists are drawn to the Kimberley – to its spectacular natural beauty and to a sense of being remote from the rest of the world.But is the region in danger of being loved to death? Larger numbers of tourists require closer and more careful management.
More: Sustaining the Kimberley
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Collaborative Campaigns:

Developing a good, solid network with other environment groups is critical to our campaign successes. EK has been active in:

• the Northern Australian Environment Alliance (NAEA),
  
• the Mittagong Forum (an alliance of national, state and regional environment groups working on building the capacity of the environment movement in Australia) and
  
• the WA Collaboration (a partnership of leading Western Australian non-government organisations who have joined forces to shape and promote the sustainability agenda for the State).

More:
Northern Australian Environment Alliance - NAEA
Mittagong Forum
WA Collaboration and State Sustainability Strategy (pdf 27kb)

Managing our Natural Resources:

The Kimberley is a magnificent, relatively unspoilt region with a rich flora and abundant wildlife. Environs Kimberley wants to keep it that way. Until recently, this region was protected by its remoteness. Now, with improved roads and frequent air services, the Kimberley is being discovered by the rest of Australia and the world.

Pressures for development are increasing fast and the nature of the Kimberley is under threat. Environs Kimberley advocates careful planning for our region and the encouragement of business opportunities that protect and enhance the natural environment and lifestyle.

A Natural Resource Management (NRM) Strategy for the Kimberley is in the process of being developed. The Plan will be used as a tool for future planning and protection of the natural resources in the Kimberley region. The Kimberley Interim NRM Group is coordinating the process. Environs Kimberley, along with industry groups, local government, Indigenous organisations and government agencies, as well as the wider community, is represented on the Interim Group.

A series of regional NRM planning workshops and meetings are being held across the region to consult with people about the resources that are valued by the community and the subsequent pressures that need to be managed to ensure that the Kimberley remains unique. The findings of these workshops will form the basis of the draft regional NRM Strategy, which will be circulated for community comment in November this year. More: contact Environs Kimberley

Urban Issues:

Even in the Kimberley, with relatively few people, little industry and a lot of space, problems arise from the way people live together in towns and communities. Our choices as to how we generate electricity, where and how we build, where we put our roads and car parks, what we grow in our parks and gardens, how we manage our waste, all have an impact on the local environment. More: contact Environs Kimberley.

Environmental Education:

Raising environmental awareness about the Kimberley.EK believes that the public is the environment’s best advocate. We also believe that much harm is done to the environment through ignorance. We therefore work hard to inform the public about the natural and cultural values of our region, as well as about our many campaigns.

As well as talking to the media and to students, we hold a weekly market stall at Broome Courthouse, publish a quarterly newsletter, and produce a series of fact sheets, pamphlets and booklets about aspects of the Kimberley environment.
More: contact Environs Kimberley