Comments last week by WA Premier Roger Cook that WA could be 'forced to frack' the Kimberley if Woodside doesn't drill for oil and gas at Scott Reef (Browse Basin proposal), have been met with outrage across the state.

Over a 100 people gathered at the WA Parliament at short notice to reject the Premier's statement and called on him to enforce the states' domestic gas policy of retaining 15% for domestic use.

Environs Kimberley’s Martin Pritchard at WA Parliament protest

Today, community members occupied the Premier’s electorate office as well as three other Ministers offices (Simone McGurk, John Carey, and Don Punch) and offices of local MP’s in Maylands (Dan Bull) and Bibra Lake (Sook Yee Lai). See Lock the Gate media release here.

Frack Free Kimberley community members occupying Maylands MP Dan Bull's office

In Broome, community members protested the Premier’s threats to frack the Kimberley and drill Scott Reef at local MLA Divina D’Anna’s office.

Environs Kimberley Executive Director Martin Pritchard said: 

"The Premier has really upset people by saying that an iconic place like the Kimberley has to be sacrificed to fracking if Woodside doesn’t drill for oil and gas at Scott Reef.

His own party, WA Labor, voted to extend the current fracking ban in the Southwest, Perth Metro, Peel and Dampier Peninsula, across the state late last year.

The response has been strong with a snap rally at the WA Parliament, sit-ins in the Premier’s electorate office as well as 5 other MP offices including the Minister for Water in Bunbury and an action outside Kimberley MLA Divina D’Anna’s office in Broome.

Protest in Broome at Kimberley MP Divina D'Anna's office

This is just the beginning, we know the community will not allow the mass industrialisation of the Kimberley by the onshore oil and gas industry.

The Premier said that WA will run out of gas early in the next decade, but we know that if oil and gas companies did the right thing and supplied the 15% domestic gas requirement, instead of leaving the state short, and more renewable energy was built, there would be no need to frack the Kimberley or drill around Scott Reef.

The government has to understand that the social licence around oil and gas extraction is evaporating, last year’s election result in Fremantle showed that. There is no social licence to drill around Scott Reef and they certainly don’t have it for fracking the iconic Kimberley.

People hate the idea of fracking and the Valhalla proposal in the Martuwarra Fitzroy River catchment is riddled with flaws. Groundwater, including drinking water, would be at risk from carcinogenic chemicals. Radioactive wastewater has come to the surface with previous test wells and we know wastewater dams have overflowed in the wet season.

We cannot risk the Martuwarra Fitzroy River to fracking, it’s a known polluting industry and its not compatible with the superb nature experiences of the Kimberley and its $500 million tourism industry.

Black Mountain can’t manage wastewater. They haven’t consulted all Traditional Owners. And they can’t prevent damage to endangered creatures who call it home, it would industrialise the Kimberley.

Woodside’s Browse project would wreck Australia’s most outstanding coral system at Scott Reef, the community feels strongly about this.

The Premier needs to make big gas accountable to everyday day people and make them meet the domestic supply requirements so there’s no need to trash the Kimberley and its coral reefs.

Environs Kimberley is calling on WA Environment Minister Matthew Swinbourn to reject the Valhalla fracking proposal and the Premier to ban fracking in the Kimberley.”

There was a very strong turnout in Broome recently to protest the EPA decision to recommend fracking by Texan company Black Mountain at its proposed Valhalla project – over 130 people came at short notice.

“It’s very clear that people here are shocked and outraged at the EPA recommendation to allow fracking in the Kimberley. This is the worst decision the EPA has made in years. The calls were very strong to the Minister for the Environment Matthew Swinbourn to reject Texan company Black Mountain’s Valhalla fracking project.

The community doesn’t want the Kimberley turned into Texan gasfields and the risk to our clean water, threatened species and the National Heritage listed Martuwarra Fitzroy River is too high. Ultimately the Premier, Roger Cook, needs to take leadership here and ban fracking in the Kimberley like its banned in the southwest and Perth. ” said Environs Kimberley Executive Director Martin Pritchard.

A big crowd attended the protest calling on Minister for the Environment Matthew Swinbourn to reject the Valhalla fracking project Photo - Hazel Blake

Yawuru/Djukun Traditional Custodian Janet Puertollano said at the protest -

“ I fear the Valhalla fracking project would be devastating for the Martuwarra Fitzroy River and the communities that rely on it.

This fracking project risks a vital water source in the Fitzroy River catchment, with long-term consequences for Aboriginal children. This river is the lifeblood of the Kimberley, it’s not just water, it’s a place to swim, learn and a vital food source for many residents along it.”

“We will be appealing the EPA’s decision and we expect there will be a record number, people from all over the country are absolutely gobsmacked about this recommendation,"said EK Director Martin Pritchard.

“Our grounds of appeal include that the EPA has failed to adequately assess risks to threatened species, risks to human health and social surrounds, including toxic chemicals, risks of climate change and extreme weather and has ignored advice from the Independent Expert Scientific Committee established by the Commonwealth government.”

The WA Labor Party voted unanimously to ban fracking in WA at the state conference a couple of months ago. Labor Party members vote for fracking ban to be extended across all parts of WA

Bunuba Traditional Owner Millie Hills said -

“The WA government needs to stop this industry before it gets started, this type of development is a huge risk to the Martuwarra Fitzroy River catchment. People don’t come to the Kimberley to see gas fields; they come to see unspoilt nature and experience our ancient culture.

“The Premier Roger Cook needs to show some leadership here and stop Black Mountain’s 20 well fracking proposal and ultimately ban fracking in the Kimberley to stop it looking like Texas.

Ms Pat Riley, a Nyikina woman from Pandanus Park at the lower reaches of the Martuwarra Fitzroy River said –

“We don’t want to see fracking in the Martuwarra Fitzroy River catchment. Our community is at the end of the river and any pollution from fracking upstream will affect us, we want a clean, healthy river.”

Media

Kimberley fracking plan sparks protest - West Australian

Dozens rally in Broome against fracking proposal near Martuwarra Fitzroy River - National Indigenous Times

The Kimberley is renowned for its awe-inspiring landscapes, untarnished by industrialisation and urban sprawl, as well as the ancient living culture that continues to be practised here.

These are the mainstay of the economy, providing more than half a billion dollars in revenue and a significant portion of the region’s jobs. Just as importantly, the intact condition of the Kimberley underpins residents’ wellbeing and supports the natural world, with healthy populations of rare as well as common animals and plants.

“The Kimberley is home to some truly unique and spectacular attractions...Tens of thousands of tourists flock to this area every year to enjoy an unforgettable outback experience amidst a breathtaking landscape,” Minister for the Kimberley and Regional Development, Stephen Dawson said.

While the description sounds idyllic, successive state governments have failed to act to protect the region’s crucially important attributes.

Less than 8% of the land in the Kimberley is in protected areas that prohibit landclearing, oil and gas extraction and mining.

If you’ve been following our work for a while, you’ll have seen that fracking for oil and gas is a huge concern, as well as the push by the Woodside Joint Venture to drill around Scott Reef. These are totally inappropriate industries for a globally significant region. Less well known are the other threats to the Kimberley’s environment – its freshwater, tropical savannah, intact coastline, marine parks, threatened species and national-heritage listed landscapes. We list some of the threats in the map below – excessive irrigation, bauxite mining, sand mining, heavy mineral sands mining, oil and gas extraction and fish farming are at our door.

A new concern is applications by Ms Gina Rinehart for mining exploration leases on her Liveringa Station and Fossil Downs pastoral lease and surrounding leases through her company ‘Central Pilbara North Iron Ore’. We don’t know what Ms Rinehart wants to explore for but we will vigorously oppose any damaging mining proposals.

Former Liberal Premier Colin Barnett said in 2009 that the future of the Kimberley was mining. “Just as the Pilbara was critically important to the development of WA from the'60s, over the next 50 years the Kimberley will play a similar role."

At the March 2025 election, the WA Labor Government under Roger Cook gave no new commitments to protecting the natural environment here. The proposals in front of them now will be a major test of their Kimberley credentials and show us whether they will follow Colin Barnett in his fixation on industrialising the Kimberley, or protect the Kimberley’s breathtaking landscape and environment.

Sign the petition to ask Premier Cook to ban fracking in the Kimberley here.

The Environmental Protection Act Amendment Bill 2024 introduced into WA Parliament today will compromise the independence of the Environment Protection Authority and exacerbate WA’s climate and nature crises.

“The Premier’s assertion that reforms are needed due to ‘green tape strangling development’ is disingenuous in the extreme. Delays have come about due to the lack of resources and staff in the EPA and the WA government should take responsibility for that.”

“This is the darkest day in the 50 year history of environmental laws in WA,” said Environs Kimberley Director of Strategy Martin Pritchard. 

“Increasing the EPA Board from 5 to 9 to stack it with mining, oil and gas and property development interests does not pass the pub test; we need environmentally-focused people whose primary interest is protecting the environment, not facilitating its destruction.”

“We understand that the government will also issue the EPA with what it calls ‘Statements of Expectation’, effectively directing the EPA to follow the government's priorities. This undermines the independence of our most important environment watchdog.” 

“Removing the community’s right to appeal an EPA decision not to assess a project is a retrograde, anti-democratic step to appease industry and only benefits big business.”

The government’s changes will effectively strip the EPA of its independence at a time when we need to strengthen WA’s nature laws to defend nature and the places we love because of the unfolding climate change and extinction crisis.

“The Environmental Protection Act Amendment Bill 2024 is the Cook Labor government caving in to the mining, oil and gas and real estate industries instead of looking after WA’s nature which has a spiralling number of threatened species getting closer to extinction.”

Places like the Kimberley’s National Heritage-listed Martuwarra Fitzroy River and animals like threatened Bilbys, threatened turtles and whales, and the critically endangered Freshwater Sawfish are already at severe risk of extinction and need more protection, not less.

“We need a stronger EPA and environment laws. What is currently being proposed is exactly what Liberal Premier Colin Barnett wanted and we can’t believe the Labor Government is willing to gut our environmental laws to fast track damaging projects which will supercharge the multiple environmental crises we are facing.”

WA Premier Roger Cook’s proposed changes to the EPA would slash environmental protections that the West Australian community has spent over 50 years fighting for, according to Broome based conservation group Environs Kimberley.

“These changes would slash environmental protection for iconic places like the Kimberley at a time when its recognised we are in a nature survival crisis and there has been no consultation with conservation groups,” said Environs Kimberley Director of Strategy Martin Pritchard.

The proposed changes include stacking the EPA Board with more industry representatives, getting private consultants to rush through decisions and the removal of the public’s right to appeal decisions on the environment.

“This is straight out of the fossil fuel industry’s playbook, they’ve been trying to weaken our environmental laws for decades. It’s an effective privatisation of what is supposed to be an independent advisor to government on WA’s globally significant environment,” Mr Pritchard said.

“The Premier’s assertion that reforms are needed due to ‘green tape strangling development’ are disingenuous. Delays have come about due to the lack of resources and staff in the EPA and the WA government should take responsibility for that.”

“We’re calling for public consultation on any proposed reforms and that a primary emphasis be put on protecting the environment not rushing damaging developments through.”

“We need a stronger EPA and environment laws. What is currently being proposed is exactly what Liberal Premier Colin Barnett wanted and we can’t believe the Labor Government is willing to gut our environmental laws to fast track damaging projects.”

The Cook government is opening up spectacular parts of the Kimberley to the oil and gas industry at a time when the science says we have to reduce carbon emissions. See petroleum release announcement here.

“We’re calling on the Cook government to withdraw this petroleum release and not put places like the spectacular Edgar Ranges and Martuwarra Fitzroy River at risk from the oil and gas industry.” Said Environs Kimberley Director of Strategy Martin Pritchard.

Edgar Ranges Photo: Environs Kimberley

“It’s like the Premier Roger Cook and Minister for Mines Bill Johnston don’t accept the science of climate change because we know that to have a safe climate, the International Energy Agency is saying we can’t open new oil and gas.”

The petroleum release areas cover the spectacular Edgar Ranges which have been proposed as a Nature Reserve by the WA government since 1991. The Edgar Ranges are of very high conservation value and culturally important.

According to the WA Government –

The Edgar Range is biologically and culturally extremely significant, it has a spectacular landscape and for decades has been recommended for conservation as a Class A Nature Reserve.

It is significant habitat for many mammal, insect and plant species and is known for Brush-tailed Rock Wallaby, Greater Bilby and Forrest’s Mouse, and is the only location for the endangered Edgar Range

Pandanus (Pandanus spiralis var. flammeus)21. It is where Torresian (sub-humid Kimberley) and desert species mix.

One hundred and twenty-one species of birds have been recorded there, including three of special significance to conservation – Princess Parrot, Peregrine Falcon and Major Mitchell’s Cockatoo.

Source: Department of Conservation and Land Management (1991) Nature Conservation Reserves in the Kimberley

Martuwarra Fiztroy River Photo: Damian Kelly

The Martuwarra Fitzroy River is National Heritage listed and is a Registered Aboriginal Heritage site.

“If the Cook government won’t withdraw this petroleum acreage release then the oil and gas industry must take a responsible approach and not bid for these areas.”