Urgent help needed for a Frack Free Kimberley

We have until Monday, 23rd December, 2024 to request a full assessment of a proposal to frack the Kimberley.

Black Mountain Energy, via subsidiary Bennett Resources Ltd, has just referred a fracking proposal in the heart of the Kimberley to the Federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek for a decision on whether a full Commonwealth assessment under the EPBC Act is required. 

This is the second time the ‘Valhalla’ project has been referred after the initial referral was rejected.

Please help by sending a quick submission following the steps below. In each submission it is vital that we say this proposal must be declared a "CONTROLLED ACTION" in order for it to receive the highest level of scrutiny and assessment.

Kimberley residents protest the fracking proposal. Pic: Alex Westover.

Help now by following these 8 simple steps: 

1. Go to the EPBC Act Public Portal (click here).

2. Click on 'Make a Comment'

3. Fill in the required fields including your full name and email. The title for your comment can simply be "Keep the Kimberley Frack Free".

4. Answer YES to 'do you consider this a Controlled Action?'

5. Give reasons why you consider it a “Controlled Action”. You can copy and paste this to make it easy - 

This project needs to be declared a ‘Controlled Action’ as it is likely to have a significant impact on several Matters of National Environmental Significance, including –

• Groundwater and surface water resources – the new EPBC Act ‘water trigger’ for fracking projects needs to be invoked as the project would extract TWO BILLION litres of precious groundwater;
• Nationally-listed threatened and migratory species like the Greater Bilby, Freshwater Sawfish and Gouldian Finch; 
• The Martuwarra Fitzroy River National Heritage area – this heritage-listed river is downstream of the Valhalla fracking project and could be impacted by toxic pollution from this proposal.

6. Answer yes or no to the remaining three questions on confidentiality and privacy.

7. Add documents if you wish.

8. Submit by closing date: Monday, 23rd December, 2024 (11:59pm)

Thank you for helping protect the Kimberley from fracking. You can also help by signing a petition asking the West Australian Premier to ban fracking in the Kimberley here.