A record number of appeals have been lodged against the WA Environmental Protection Authority’s (EPA) decision to recommend approval of Black Mountain Energy’s fracking project in the Kimberley, signaling widespread community opposition.

More than 8000 community members and groups made submissions ahead of the appeals period closing on Tuesday 10 February, making it the most highly contested EPA decision in Western Australia’s history.

Environs Kimberley Executive Director Martin Pritchard said the community’s outrage reflected serious risks posed by the proposal. Many Traditional Owners and Custodians whose countries are in the Martuwarra Fitzroy River catchment would be impacted by the project and have called for it to be rejected.

“The Kimberley is home to the most pristine tropical savannah woodlands anywhere in the world, spectacular waterfalls and gorges, and wildlife seen nowhere else on earth,” Mr Pritchard said.

The Kimberley's Martuwarra Fitzroy River under threat. Photo: Alex Westover.

"Black Mountain Energy’s application to the EPA admits that the chemicals they would pump into the ground can cause severe burns, genetic mutations and organ toxicity to name a few." 

“Thousands of community members are standing up to say the Kimberley is worth protecting, and we won’t allow Texan-owned Black Mountain Energy to destroy its unique splendor.”

Lock the Gate WA State Campaign Coordinator Simone van Hattem said: “We’re campaigning in six WA electorates and the results from door-knocking are very clear — more than 90% of voters want Premier Cook and Environment Minister Matthew Swinbourn to act urgently to ban fracking in the Kimberley. Fracking is a vote-shifting issue. We don't want to take it to the next election, but if we have to we will.

Community members at the EPA Appeals Convenor's office call for a Minister Swinbourn to reject the proposal.

“The EPA has failed to do its due diligence in approving Valhalla, so the people of Western Australia have made their voices heard. We trust Minister Swinbourn will hear the evidence – that this project cannot go ahead without polluting waterways and damaging the local environment.”

The previous WA EPA appeals record was 727 for Woodside’s Northwest Shelf project. More than 800 of the Valhalla project appeals are from the Kimberley.

Community members have staged a colourful protest at oil and gas developer Buru Energy’s annual general meeting in Perth today, accusing the company of a lack of transparency over its failure to refer its west Kimberley projects to WA’s environment watchdog. 

Groups working to protect the Kimberley are aware Buru Energy’s projects are at advanced planning stages, yet have not been referred to the state’s EPA.

Photos and a video of the protest are available here.

Buru Energy’s planned Kimberley projects include:

• Re-opening its polluting Ungani oil production facility and trucking oil through Broome or Derby for export;
• Opening a new conventional gas project, Rafael and producing LNG and condensate (light oil) for local use and/or export;
• Constructing new roads and pipelines;
• Potentially recommencing fracking at its Yulleroo gas lease near Broome.

Environs Kimberley Executive Director Martin Pritchard said, “Buru Energy’s planned projects would result in the fossil fuel industrialisation of the Kimberley - a region that is famous around the world for its pristine nature. These projects would also use massive amounts of groundwater and emit huge volumes of climate pollution.

“Buru Energy also holds the Yulleroo unconventional gas field, where it has previously fracked and has not ruled out fracking there again in the future.

“The Kimberley has the largest most intact tropical savannah in the world and our aquifers, wetlands and waterways are pollution free, we need to make sure we keep it that way and fossil fuel projects are not compatible with our region.

“A full EPA assessment should be conducted to properly consider the individual, combined and cumulative environmental and social impacts of Buru Energy’s stated fossil fuel industrialisation plans.”

The community protests outside Buru Energy's AGM.

Lock the Gate Alliance WA spokesperson Claire McKinnon said, “Buru Energy wants to industrialise the west Kimberley with fossil fuel projects yet none of the company’s drilling plans have been referred to the WA environment watchdog in over a decade.

“We’re really concerned Buru Energy’s oil and gas projects will go under the radar unless they are referred for assessment and full public scrutiny.

“Buru Energy’s planned oil and gas projects would have a devastating impact on the Kimberley’s unique environment. Buru Energy has already faced criticism for bulldozing so much habitat in the Kimberley for grid seismic testing that if the clearing was arranged in a straight line, it would stretch more than halfway around the world.”