Fitzroy River
WA to keep gas royalties: Barnett
The West Australian
Peter Kerr and Andrew Probyn
Colin Barnett has warned the Federal Government and the resources sector that WA will refuse to surrender royalties on its massive onshore gas reserves – no matter who wins the Federal election.
According to the US Energy Information Agency, WA’s Canning Basin is Australia’s biggest potential shale region, with as much as 229 trillion cubic feet of gas, more than 11 times the resource to be tapped by the Chevron-led Gorgon LNG project.
2013 WA State Election – where the Parties sit on the environment in the Kimberley
Here’s the Environs Kimberley WA State Election Scorecard
Announcements made since EK published the scorecard.
Liberal Party policies: Kimberley
- Continue to push for a giant gas hub at James Price Point.
- Create one of Australia’s biggest national parks - Wanjina National Park. (NOTE – Liberal Party policy does not prevent mining in National Parks)
- $15million to create a Great Kimberley Marine Park stretching from Talbot Bay to the Northern Territory border.
- The park will cover more than 30,000 square kilometres of the Kimberley’s State waters. It will be second only to the Great Barrier Reef as Australia’s biggest marine park.
- The Liberal-led Government committed $63million for the Kimberley Science and Conservation Strategy, which will create the State’s largest, interconnected system of marine and terrestrial parks.
- Liberals are negotiating with a range of Traditional Owner groups on joint management of these parks.
ALP policies: Kimberley
- Establish the Great North Kimberley Marine Park, extending from King Sound in the west to Cambridge Gulf in the east, to protect about 9000 kms of coastline.
- Establish a 160 square kilometre national park to protect Horizontal Falls.
- Establish the Fitzroy River National Park from the Geikie Gorge National Park along the Fitzroy River to the north and along the Margaret River to the east. (NOTE – Labor Party policy is for no mining in National Parks however in the past land has been excised from National Parks for mining)
- Commence negotiations with the Mitchell Plateau bauxite tenement holders to relinquish their interest and then legislate to ensure the Mitchell Plateau is protected from mining in perpetuity.
- WA Labor will also allocate $4million over four years to employ 10 indigenous rangers to help manage the new Fitzroy River National Park.
- Not support uranium mining in the Kimberley
- Will not support Coal Seam Gas fracking (NOTE – most onshore gas in the Kimberley is shale gas)
Greens policies: Kimberley
- No gas hub at James Price Point.
- Create Great Kimberley Marine Park.
- Prevent fracking and coal mining in the Canning Basin/Fitzroy River catchment.
- Not support uranium mining in the Kimberley.
- Not allow new dams in the Kimberley.
- Develop sustainable economic futures for the region and redirect ‘Royalties for Regions’ funds away from mining subsidies to communities.
Nationals policies: Kimberley
- No environmental policy announcements made.
To hear from the candidates go to ABC Kimberley’s podcast of the candidate forum http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2013/03/07/3710547.htm?site=kimberley
WELCOME TO ENVIRONS KIMBERLEY’S WEBSITE.
[For all the latest Kimberley news, scroll down].
We are the only regional conservation organisation in the Kimberley, one of the world’s last wilderness areas.
Our natural habitats are facing unprecedented threats from too frequent fires, feral animals, weeds, broadscale land-clearing, dams and encroaching industrial development. Native mammals are disappearing.
Through its West Kimberley Nature Project, Environs Kimberley (EK) is conducting innovative work with Aboriginal ranger groups to better manage the threats to rare and endangered Kimberley ecosystems (click here).
Across the region, miners are exploring 25,000 km² for coal, over 120,000 km² for shale gas, that would be extracted by ‘fracking’, and more than 10,000 km² for bauxite. (Sydney’s urban area covers 1687 km²). The region is also facing exploration for oil, iron ore, copper, diamonds, rare earths, lead, zinc and uranium.
James Price Point, 40km north of Broome on one of the world’s most pristine coastlines, is the proposed site for the largest gas processing plant in the world. If approved, it would open up the floodgates to industrial development on a scale never seen before in northern Australia (for more information (click here).
HELP TO PROTECT THE KIMBERLEY.
Contribute by becoming a member (click here), taking an active role in our activities and/or by making tax deductible monthly donations (click here). $30 a month goes a long way.
‘Excitement’ over Kimberley dam potential
ABC
The head of a taskforce investigating the possibility of building dams in northern Australia says the Kimberley has huge potential.
Federal Opposition Leader Tony Abbott formed the group in January – it will look at ways of boosting agricultural production and utilising empty land in the north.
This week, the group, chaired by the Coalition’s finance spokesman, Andrew Robb, visited Derby, Kununurra, Fitzroy Crossing and several pastoral stations.
Opposition plan for potential dams in the north
ABC
The federal Opposition says it is preparing a list of potential new dam sites to take to the next federal election with major opportunities in the country’s north.
The chair of its dams and water management taskforce, Andrew Robb, is in the Kimberley this week looking at proposals such as a dam on the Margaret River near Fitzroy Crossing.
Mr Robb says it has “magnificent potential”.
He says previous water taskforces have failed to realise the true opportunities in northern Australia.
Heritage listing sought for Kimberley
Ch 9
Larine Statham
Aboriginal traditional owners, tourism operators and environmentalists fear one of Australia’s last remaining wilderness areas could become a giant quarry if it is not heritage listed. More>>
Minister dismisses Kimberley water plan
DANIEL MERCER
The West Australian
State Water Minister Bill Marmion has dismissed plans to bring water from the Kimberley to Perth, saying there is a “misconception” the northern region holds “oodles” of water.
Kimberley water under threat – Tell him he’s pipe dreaming
Environs Kimberley Media Statement
The WA Premier has Kimberley water in his sights with further plans to industrialise the internationally renowned wilderness region. The community says “Tell him he’s pipe dreaming.”
The WA Government is investigating taking water from the Fitzroy River in the Kimberley to Perth. Colin Barnett’s previous plan was scrapped in 2005 and he subsequently lost the election on this issue. An independent report[1] commissioned by the State Government stated:
“While several methods are technically capable of delivering water from the Kimberley to Perth, the water would cost much more (at least five times) than if supplied by other available options and offers no other significant advantages to the State’s development.” (see more below)
At a protest in Broome today to welcome WA Minister for Environment Bill Marmion, Environs Kimberley Director Martin Pritchard said:
“The Premier lost the 2005 election on this issue and the community here is sending a very strong message to Mr Barnett and the Minister for the Environment that the Fitzroy River will not be dammed and that Kimberley water will stay in the Kimberley.”
Another issue that is ‘under the radar’ is the proposal for a whole new coal and uranium mining province in the Fitzroy Valley. A proposal by Rey Resources which has pegged 8,000km² of coal mining tenements in the Kimberley is being pushed by the company right now.
“This would be like putting the Hunter Valley coal mining province in the Kimberley with the Ranger Uranium mine on top.” Mr Pritchard said.
“The Premier is beginning to show some leadership on the coal proposal in Margaret River he now needs to put his attention on the Kimberley coal proposal. We are looking at a multi mine coal basin if this area is not protected”said Mr Pritchard.
“The ground and surface water in the Fitzroy Valley are under extreme threat. What this community is saying is that the Kimberley’s greatest assets are its natural and cultural values and these should be protected if we are going to have a long term sustainable economy into the future” Mr Pritchard said.
For further comment: Martin Pritchard 0427 548 075
[1] http://www.water.wa.gov.au/PublicationStore/first/64772.pdf
Barnett’s pipe dream for taking water from the Kimberley:huge burden on taxpayers, devastation for the Fitzroy River
ENVIRONS KIMBERLEY
Media Release
The news that WA Premier Barnett has put a Kimberley pipeline back on the political agenda shows that he has failed to deliver his promise for a long term plan on water for the State, Environs Kimberley Director Martin Pritchard said in Broome today.
“This idea has had more starts than Pharlap, but fans of a pipeline, led by the Premier have yet to demonstrate the viability of this proposal. That the north is wet and the south dry is no reason to build an inefficient canal or pipe the length of the state,” Environs Kimberley Director Martin Pritchard said today. For full release click here»
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