When is the Broome community going to have its say regarding the proposed Gas Precinct at Quondong?

Are the communities of the Kimberley aware that currently there is a "Social Studies and Investigation Program" being compiled by Andrea Jardine Orr representing the Western Australian Government’s Department of State Development? This program is a requirement to proceed as part of a process known as a Strategic Assessment (SA). This SA is being prepared for the National Environment Minister Hon Peter Garrett to assess, with other documentation and reports, the proposed gas precinct at Quondong, (Murrdudun).

Andrea Jardine Orr , meets with the Broome Shire for a confidential briefing and with the Chamber of Commerce, however members of the Broome community are yet to have any opportunity to have their say, concerns or questions addressed? Why hasn’t this consultant exercised professional protocol by introducing herself to the community, informing the community about the study and its purpose? Why does it feel like the Broome community, its lifestyle, its heritage and its future is being treated with obvious irrelevance? It is as if this community, its very essence is totally inconsequential and insignificant?

The Broome Community and residents are listed within the Scope of Strategic Assessment Report as stakeholders to be consulted unlike the Broome Shire Council who are not named. As stated in an earlier blog, the WA government is under contract with the Federal Government and is therefore legally obligated to ensure that the Broome community and its residents are kept informed and consulted and that certain timelines and milestones are met. This is not happening and Redhand, again calls on the Federal Government to investigate and rectify this situation as soon as possible, on the behalf of the Broome community.

PDF FILES

Hi everyone, the PDF documents page has been updated, go and chek:

http://www.xperts.it/REDHAND/pdf.html

I can't see you torn apart

Jabirr Jabirr traditional owners signing a Heads of Agreement with the Premier Colin Barnett and Woodside Chief Executive Don Voelte at James Price Point, the area we have been told is the location for the proposed Kimberley LNG hub. Goolarabooloo the Native Title Claim Group, who currently have a Native Title application lodged with the Federal Court waiting determination, refused to attend or sign off their country, heritage or their culture. Until there is a determination handed down no one has the legal right to sign anything.

The Real Location for the Proposed Kimberley Gas Hub

This diagram can be found in the Kimberley LNG Precinct Strategic Assessment document page 81. It quite clearly shows that the area proposed for industrialisation is not Walmadan (James Prices Point) but is
A = Kundandu, B = Murrdudun and C = Murrjal all located at Quondong Point. This following video shows the area due west from Murrjal at both the high and low tides.



Very wide intertidal sand flats are a feature of the open ocean shores of the Dampier Peninsula.During low spring tides these flats can be greater than a kilometre wide. Sediment composition on the flats ranges from fine, silty sand near shore, to coarse, shelly rubble in areas of strong tidal flow.Few aquatic plants occur on these flats, however sparse occurrences of seagrasses do occur in
shallow pools (CALM 1994). These intertidal flats are rich in invertebrates, with a high density and diversity of bivalve molluscs and other burrowing infauna. The outer edge of these flats support soft corals and sponges (CALM 1994). Hands Off country, Standing Up for the Planet

You don't have to do anything you don't want to do!

John Bulter, Walmadan Heritage Concert, Broome.

People can change things, they are the only ones that can.

The community of Broome should not feel like you are being rail roaded, invaded or dictated too by multinational company or bullied by government. This is your community, your lifestyle and your children's future.

Red Hand questions why the Strategic Assessment document has only been provided to selected stakeholders, has not be posted on any of the State government's Web sites nor have copies been made available to the general public.

Where, when and who is undertaking the Social Impact Study, which according to the Kimberley LNG Precinct - (Scoop) of Strategic Assessment document's time line should be underway now. Members of the public are listed within this same document as Key Stakeholders but have you have heard anything? Do you feel like you are being kept in the dark? Are your rights to express your ideas, concerns or have some of your questions answered being sidelined?

In accordance with the industry guidelines for community involvement (DoE 2003),A consultation program should continue throughout the assessment process as a two-way flow of communication between government as the Precinct Proponent, industry Proponents and stakeholders. As stated in the Scoop Document, p179 "This will assist in identifying significant environmental and social issues and will enable an open, transparent and comprehensive exchange of information and views."

According to the Scoping Document for Strategic Assessment 13.3 Consultation Program it is clearly stated that Stakeholder consultation will be a continuing activity for the Kimberley LNG Precinct.The consultation program will be framed around key milestones for the assessment, and be provided by various means including briefings, community meetings, published material, web sites and other communication methods appropriate to the target audience. None of these activities (various means)have been undertaken.

These consultations were to take place in March - May 200 so as to inform and seek input from key stakeholders:State/Cwth Govt, Traditional Owners, NGOs, Industry, General Public of assessment process and the studies and investigations proposed to support the Strategic Assessment.

There has been no consultation, members of the Broome Community and the general public have not been informed about the development plans and decisions or have they been given the opportunity to contribute input.

Whale shape, Cable Beach, Broome

This photo was taken at Cable Beach as part of National Whale Day and Broome's Whale Festive. Many people gathered to celebrate their love of whales, as well as draw attention to some of the threats they face today, like whaling, climate change, ship strikes, ocean noise and LNG Gas Hubs and all their associated rubbish.

Whale Festival

Click on the Picture to enlarge

Whale Festival

Redand @ Kimberley Whale Festival

Kimberley Whale Festival

Click on the picture to enlarge

Woodside applies pressure for action on LNG plant

Peter Klinger

May 1, 2009

THE Woodside Petroleum boss Don Voelte has fired a first salvo across the bows of his Browse Basin joint-venture partners, saying there were no "stumbling blocks" for the massive project to be developed in the Kimberley rather than the Pilbara and that he expected the West Australian Premier, Colin Barnett, to exert pressure on the partners to make it happen.

Speaking outside Woodside's annual meeting in Perth yesterday, Mr Voelte said construction of a liquefied natural gas plant at James Price Point, north of Broome, could start in two years.
And, in his first public crack at his Browse joint-venture partners BP, Royal Dutch Shell, Chevron and BHP Billiton, he said it was not up to Woodside to convince them that a greenfields development in the Kimberley was a better option than a cheaper brownfields set-up on the Burrup peninsula in the Pilbara.

A greenfields LNG plant at James Price Point, when combined with the offshore development costs, is likely to come with a $25 billion price tag.

It is understood that Woodside's Browse partners favour developing the Browse gas field either through the North-West Shelf venture or even through Woodside's wholly owned Pluto project. "We are of the view, not from an operator's point of view but from an equity point of view, that there are very few stumbling blocks left to argue that it is not an economic development," Mr Voelte said.

He said the technical and operational issues of a Kimberley processing option had been satisfied while the long-term outlook for the global LNG market remained promising, despite the worldwide economic slump. Last month's access agreement with the traditional owners meant another hurdle had been overcome.

"The [LNG] market is there," Mr Voelte said. "All that is left is just the underlying permits for the gas precinct, so we say why not construct in 2011?"

In a far from subtle message that the West Australian Government would be putting pressure on Woodside's partners to move to the Kimberley, Mr Voelte said "it's not us trying to get the JV in line".

Mr Voelte has set a June 30 deadline for Woodside, as the operator of the Browse venture, to select between Mr Barnett's Kimberley LNH hub at James Price Point and the Burrup peninsula for the project's onshore location.

Although his commitment to the Mr Barnett's Kimberley LNG hub is well documented, Mr Voelte has privately suggested that reaching agreement with the joint-venture partners by June 30 would be a challenge.

Any significant delays could threaten his Browse development timetable, which includes the start of front end engineering and design work by next year.

Mr Voelte said yesterday the Chevron-operated $50 billion Gorgon LNG venture on Barrow Island, which is likely to receive final investment decision later this year, should not have a negative impact on the development timetable for Woodside projects, in particular an expansion of the $12 billion Pluto asset.

Addressing market speculation about an asset-sales program, Mr Voelte admitted Woodside was considering testing the market for interest in its 51.6 per cent-owned Otway gas project off Victoria. He stressed there would be no fire sale but admitted he saw limited upside in the asset.
Source: The Sydney Morning Herald

Kimberley LNG hub at Quondong or James Price Point? What's the truth?

Redhand queries whether it is James Price Point that is the focus of the proposed location of the Kimberley LNG gas hub, or is it in fact Quondong Point?

Consider?

The Northern Development Taskforce Site Evaluation Report October 2008 set aside Quondong Point and did not include it in the 4 sites to be further considered on heritage, cultural, social and environmental grounds

The Worley Parsons Resources and Energy Site visit Report 20 November, 2008 (for the Department of Industry and Resources) showed 3 locations at James Price Point, the third and south location indicated the hub inland from Quondong Point.

The Environmental Protection Authority’s report Kimberley LNG Precinct Review of potential sites for a proposed multi-user LNG processing precinct in the Kimberley Region December 2008 interestingly refers to the James Price Point Area which covers about 20 kilometres of the coastline and “considers that a site towards the northern end of this area (between James Price Point and Flat Rock) may have less impact on the main fishing and camping areas between Quondong Point and James Price Point”.

The $1.5billion Agreement (between Traditional Owners Jabirr Jabirr, Goolarabooloo and KLC, the State Government and Woodside) last week was reported as an agreement to locate the hub at James Price Point but no specific details have been released to the media by any of the parties. Nor was there clarity about the area covered by the Agreement.

During the recent negotiation for that Agreement, Redhand alerted to the maps showing Woodside’s operations area, the maps dated 17 March 2009 indicated Quondong Point as the hub location.

At that time the Premier Colin Barnett denied that Quondong Point was to be used and that the focus was on James Price Point. (ABC news and radio 27 to 30 March 2009) reports.

Woodside’s 2008 Full Year Results Briefing by Don Voelte Managing Director and CEO 18^th February, 2009 on page 37 shows Google Earth Maps. Quondong Point has been incorrectly labelled as James Price Point. This is not an error. This is misleading information to the public and to Woodside’s shareholders and other stakeholders.

Quondong Point is at 17^o 34’ 41.59” S and 122^o 09’ 14.48” E and James Price Point is at 17^o 29’ 01.63” S and 122^o 08’ 30.20” E ?

Well you might say that a short distance of 12 kilometres makes little difference to the overall concept, the point is, are we being lied to? Where actually is the proposed location of the Kimberley LNG precinct? Quondong Point? Or James Price Point?

The Premier said it wasn’t Quondong on ABC Radio and Woodside’s CEO in his briefing to the market indicates it is despite incorrect place names on the maps, and publicity around last week’s Agreement doesn’t say. Who is telling the truth?

Don't Lose Heart

Like alot of people Red Hand has been very disappointed and somewhat dismayed by the news that the Traditional Owners have signed an Agreement in Principle in support of a gas precinct on the Dampier Peninsular. Red Hand believes that there are alot unanswered questions.

Given the fact that James Price Point currently has two over-lapping Native Title Claims Jabirr Jabirr and Goolarabooloo registered under the Native Title Act. How then did the Government, the spin doctors from Woodside or KLC understand who actually has the legal right to sign off on this country, if it is still pending in the courts for determination?

It was understood throughout the negotiation process that the decision making would be based on a consensus decision making model not a majority vote. This was preferred to ensure that process would not be railroaded, open to political manipulation or stacked by certain families. Why then was this meeting conducted on majority rules principles?

Is it true that one major claimant group walked from the meeting refusing to take part in the vote?

Is it true that during the voting process at this meeting certain people openly abused and intimidated other participants?

Is it true that many of the participants had no legitimate rights to be at this meeting as they are not on the existing Native Title Claims but are signatories to other Claim areas on the Peninsular?

Who are the signatories to this document?

Is it true that there was no Legal representative at this meeting to provide legal advice or over see the counting of votes?

Is it true that nothing has been actually signed?

Is it true that the Agreement document is still being drafted?

What is the actual location or area over which this purported Agreement necessitates?

How can KLC honestly represent the current Claimants in the Native Title Tribunal if they are actively working to sell the very same country?

Will the minutes, list of participants and the outcome of this meeting be available to the public or will it require application under Freedom of Information Legislation to access to this information?.

Red Hand has never wanted to get involved in the Indigenous politics of this issue because the focus has always been the protection of the environment and Standing Up for the Planet. However, Redhand believes that a lot of people have been greatly disheartened over the events of the past week and the misinformation and lack lustre media reports.

Don’t give up. It will be a long hard struggle to educate, inform and convince people that industrialisation of the Kimberley Coast is not an option. In ten years time, water will be far more valuable than gas. You can live without gas, but not water, just ask the people on the east coast!

Hands Off Country Stand Up for the Planet

Agreement on Kimberley Coast LNG Project Edges Closer

Mathew Murphy
April 10, 2009

A DEAL believed to have been struck between key stakeholders may bring a multibillion-dollar liquefied natural gas hub for the West Australian coast a step closer to reality.

In a speech to the Melbourne Mining Club, federal Resources Minister Martin Ferguson flagged that an announcement regarding a deal in principle between Woodside, the Western Australian Government and the Kimberley Land Council was imminent.

A March 31 deadline, set by WA Premier Colin Barnett, passed without resolution with concerns at the time still surrounding key aspects of the benefits package to the traditional owners, including the timing of those benefits over a 30-year period.

A subcommittee of the Kimberley Land Council is due to report back to the wider group next Wednesday with many hoping the traditional owners will sign off on the deal the same day.

Mr Ferguson told the Melbourne Mining Club: "This is a project of vital importance for the future economic and social empowerment of indigenous communities in the Kimberley. Equally it is a project of national and state significance that would generate jobs, exports, revenue and economic growth for the benefit of all Australians."

Under the proposal, LNG from the Browse Basin would be processed at James Prince Point, 60 kilometres north of Broome. The basin contains more than a third of Australia's known offshore gas reserves. But environmentalists and some local Aborigines say the gas plant should not be built on the fragile Kimberley coastline.

Mr Barnett has pushed hard to strike a deal with the traditional owners after Japanese gas producer Inpex abandoned its $15 billion bid in September to build a gas plant amid uncertainty over a site. He has staked his political leadership on the Woodside deal, declaring he would not allow another big development to fall over "on his watch".

Walmadany Concert for Heritage

Thousands thronged to the Town Oval in Broome, Kimberley, Western Australia on Friday night at the Walmadany Concert for Heritage, to join and sing and dance for heritage. The message for the world is Broome does not want LNG gas processing on our coastline or country. This message is not just to the gas proponents, but to governments, to industry, to multi-national corporations. The people in our small community are not just saying hands off country. Last night they sang and danced to protect heritage, culture and country, for the planet, for their families, for their future and for the children. Gas proponents and governments would do well to listen to the people, to everyone.

Joseph Roe Lawkeeper and Custodian Goolarabooloo welcomes John Butler.

A brilliant celebration of heritage, family and community guided by the Pigram Brothers, thank you.

www.pigrambrothers.com.au

Please Don't Sell Country

The social and emotional impacts of the systematic dislocation of Broome’s community.

The Proposed establishment of Mtpa 25 Gas Hub is already having distressing, social and overwhelming emotional ramifications on your community and on your country.

Hands Off Country has been sitting back for a few weeks, in order to try and understand what was actually happening to your community.

Although Red Hand’s observations are not surprising they are well concerning. The industrial forces’ manoeuvring tactics and so called consultations’ techniques are having a tsunami effect over the Broome community. People are already in distress, families and family groups are being divided; there is intimidation, disengagement of key stakeholders, lots of misinformation, lack of correct information and even aggression.

Social and emotional impacts will never be quantified by social impact studies; you can never measure the ramifications that puts father against son, brother against brother or people working against each other’s wishes within a once harmonious community.

The current social impact assessment study is being undertaken by people who have no connection to your community, who have no understanding of your true community values, your heritage, your history or insight into the fears you hold for country, community and your families. Nor will they delight in your hopes you hold for your future. These studies cannot be undertaken effectively or efficiently when you do not know what door to knock, whose door to knock and what is the right door to knock. Information will never be given freely to strangers. What will be the starting point of such a study, do you start from the homeless, the level of street violence, lack of affordable housing and the mental anguish and substance abuse that is happening across your community, within all walks of life?

Elderly Traditional Owners (known as TO’S) are under enormous pressure with the mirror and bead games, they are forced into playing. Their health and spiritual wellbeing are being compromised as people play political games with the last years of their lives. Heritage and cultural custodians’ concerns are whitewashed, whilst key stakeholders are being excluded from the know.

Currently, there are people morally and ethically challenged over the conflict between their personal and employment interests. Now more than ever in history you can’t afford to have this excuse I was just doing my job any longer.

These dilemmas are accumulating because people are understanding that this is not just about protecting country, this is about saving the planet (one very small corner of it) and the strong survival instinct you all hold as humans beings to ensure you do leave some places in the world free of industrial crap.

Yes the battle lines are drawn straight through the heart of this community. Rich are pushing for more riches and the poor are still trying to seek basic services. You have people who are deeply affected by this proposal, you have young visionaries who are articulate and have the concept of the bigger picture being cut down like tall poppies. You have groups not sharing information with each other because of legal ramifications or personal ego trips.

Nookanbah was about people protecting country and cultural heritage with their lives. Land Councils grew out of this type of non-violent direct action, people’s actions. They are now acting like real-estate agents willing to sell land, the most precious thing that binds Indigenous people together, culture, heritage, language and their only true sense of belonging, country.

We have got a young population within the township who have not been given equal access to training and education, like those in other parts of Australia. When provided, this would ensure they will participate in the existing hospitality, eco-tourism, pearling, fishing, supermarkets and other industries. What makes you think they can participate now in this new industry? The youth are angry and this will bubble to the surface, displacement, detachment and alienation that your youth are already feeling in your community will intensify. The community’s children will never be able to afford their own home and this gas hub will not be the answer to their prayers or meet any of their basic needs.

The processes currently being employed to ensure that this proposed gas hub goes ahead has been nothing short of thuggery, people are being bribed, bullied, back-stabbed, sidelined, violated, compromised and are left with little or no capacity to defend. Meanwhile, Woodside and the State Government are sitting back. Rest assured that the divide and conquer rule lives on.

The community is beginning to feel like it’s been deliberately kept in the dark, lied to and manipulated, with half truths and blatant lies. The community has been led to believe that James Price Point will be the focus of this precinct and would operate within a 3,000 hectare operational site. According to some recent maps, Woodside’s plans are to base the Mtpa 25 Gas plant directly on Quondong Point and the precinct will sit within 6,000 – 8,000 hectares.

The Broome Shire Council resolved to organise a Broome community forum to inform the community of all the pros and cons that this proposal would have on the Broome community. It has been deferred. Reasons being that major players were unable to attend and so the forum would not have achieved the outcomes the Shire sought, the full picture. If this project is as beneficial as you are being led to believe then surely this forum and the opportunity it presented for all stakeholders would have been an unique opportunity to present the case. This forum is greatly needed now, not in the future when you will not have the same opportunities to make an informed decision before a green light is given by external parties.

In true Broome style, your special community has the ability to pull together the fragile strings that bind its residents, past families and children of the future, together. You will see this at Walmadany Concert for Heritage, Male (Town) Oval in Broome on Friday night 27 March, 2009

The real social ramifications can never be studied. One thing is for sure, you will not have access to beautiful country, resourceful fishing grounds, fresh-air, clean water and nor will you feel the joy of sharing country.

Hands Off Country, Stand Up for the Planet,
(Sorry no pretty pictures with this blog)

Singing for Country

This song was composed and sung by Jude Bales who has strong connections to the Kimberley.

Transcript following soon:

Hands off country

Barnett to Open Helicopter Port at the Broome International Airport,

On Thursday, the 26^th March, at 12 noon. Barnett will be in Broome to open helicopter port at the Broome International Airport.

Apparently, the Broome International Airport Management are frantically ringing around town, seeking traditional owners to welcome Barnett into country.

In additional, there are five Woodside Maps being currently circulating around.

Map 1. Operations Only

Map 2. Operations and Construction

Map 3. Full Expansion, Operations Only

Map 4. Full Expansion, Operations and Construction

Map 5. LNG Precinct – Entire Precinct

However, Redhand questions whether these maps are a red heron, circulated to discredit both the indigenous and environment groups! Should we view these maps with a grain of salt? Although, the maps are labelled Woodside the format and legends appear very similar to Department of Planning and Infrastructure maps!.

Hands Off Country has sighted Map 1 and 2 which clearly shows that the Operations and Construction site for this 25 Mtpa Gas Plant will not be located at Walmadan (James Price Point) but at Murrjal (Quondong Point).

The entire precinct will stretch from Biningankuny (Coulomb Point Nature Reserve) to Kardilakan Jajal (Barred Creek) with the estimated 6000 – 8000 square hectares not the 1000 – 3000 hectares we all have been lead to believe. According to the maps sighted: up to seven trains will be operated, a main road cut through from the Derby Highway, desalinations plants, seven kilometres of jetty and break water constructions. Once, Red Hand has a bloggerable size copies of these maps, they will be posted.

Meanwhile, the local quarry has been asked by Woodside for a quote on 2 million tons of road base and 80 thousand tons of rock.

Redhand's speculative Timeline

Friday, 27th March 2009

Walmadany
Concert for Heritage

and while we're dancing and singing for country on Town Oval, the Traditional Owners may sign off an Agreement with the Western Australian State Government

31st March, 2009

Premier Colin Barnett will announce an
Agreement to take everything he wants and more for a gas precinct
and on

Thursday, 9 April, 2009
Woodside announcement on their decision to pipe to and process gas on the Kimberley coast.
Is this to avoid media scrutiny?

Good Friday 10 April, 2009
The media is quiet and a dead news story in the coming week.

Easter Tuesday 14 April, 2009
Government employees still on Easter holiday.

Wednesday 15 April,2009
Battle lines are drawn.

Walmadany Concert for Heritage

Broome Friday 27th March, 2009 on Town Oval

ALAN PIGRAM, BROOME MUSICIAN: You think money can fix your problems, you'll say "Yes". If you think your culture and lifestyle is what's needed to be preserved, then - and at no cost, sold, well then, you will say "No".


.....................and local musicians are planning a concert to send a clear message to the Premier.

STEPHEN PIGRAM: We're just not gonna sit back and let him ride roughshod over our country, basically. And we're just gonna make as many people as we can aware around Australia, around the world, that this is a place that shouldn't be tampered with.

Sourced from ABC TV Stateline 13 March, 2009

Australia Unveils Draft Emissions Trading Scheme Legislation

There was a flurry of media activity yesterday and today ahead of the release of the Australian Government's Emissions Trading Scheme draft legislation, which was unveiled a short time ago. (Skip to legislation outline)

Last night the Greens and Coalition formed an alliance in regards to a senate inquiry into the Government's Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme. Yesterday, Professor Ross Garnaut, who is the government's climate change advisor, told Four Corners that he is disappointed with the scheme. Professor Garnaut said industries that are the highest emitters of greenhouse gas have had too much influence over the scheme and that the Government's emissions reduction targets are too low.

The Australian coal industry took the opposite stance, crying foul, saying it had been unfairly excluded from receiving free emissions permits - even though it will receive hundreds of millions of dollars in compensation from the Federal Government. Former treasurer Peter Costello has said the Government should reconsider the ETS in the light of the economic crisis. Malcolm Turnbull would prefer to see a start date of 2012 and Nationals Senate leader Barnaby Joyce said he could not see how the legislation would pass.

The ETS is rapidly shaping up to be the issue that defines the Rudd Government's time in power due to its far reaching implications for Australia and for that matter, the world.

However, with all the debate over the ETS, something that not many politicians appear to be keeping in mind according to some green groups is every minute of every day, greenhouse gases are being spewed into the atmosphere at an ever increasing rate; pushing humanity ever closer towards a point of no return from catastrophic climate change. Some say that we've already arrived at that point and that the time for debate is over and radical action from government is needed immediately.

Draft Emissions Trading Scheme Legislation Summary

After months of criticism and heated debated from all corners, the draft legislation for the Emissions Trading Scheme has finally been released and as was expected, the Government has adhered closely to its recent Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme white paper. The following is a brief, simplified outline of the 392 page Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme Bill 2009 document:

- The Act will set up a scheme to reduce pollution caused by emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.

- The scheme will begin on 1 July 2010, and operate on a financial year basis.

- The scheme is administered by the Australian Climate Change Regulatory Authority.

- A person who is responsible for greenhouse gas emitted from 4 the operation of a facility must surrender one eligible emissions unit for each tonne of carbon dioxide equivalence of the gas.

- A person who imports, manufactures or supplies synthetic greenhouse gas must surrender one eligible emissions unit for each tonne of carbon dioxide equivalence of the gas.

- A person who imports, produces or supplies eligible upstream fuel must surrender one eligible emissions unit for each tonne of carbon dioxide equivalence of the potential greenhouse gas emissions embodied in the fuel.

- Each of the following units are eligible emissions units:
(a) Australian emissions units issued under this Act;
(b) certain Kyoto units;
(c) certain non-Kyoto international emissions units.

- Most Australian emissions units will be issued as the result of an auction.

- A national scheme cap limits the total number of auctioned Australian emissions units.

- Some Australian emissions units may be issued free of charge or for a fixed charge.

- Australian emissions units are transferable.

The Emissions Trading Scheme timetable from this point according to the Department of Climate Change's web site at the time of publishing:

March to April 2009: Phase 3 consultation of exposure draft legislation
May 2009: Bill introduced into Parliament
June 2009: Government aims to achieve passage of bill by Parliament at this time
3rd quarter 2009: Act enters into force; scheme regulator established
2010: Emissions trading scheme will commence

While high polluting industries have continually raised the spectre of massive job losses as a result of the implementation of the Emissions Trading Scheme and in spite of the global economic crisis, Australians still appear to be worried about the issue of global warming impacts. According to a survey of 1,400 people commissioned by The Climate Institute, 78 percent indicate concern over climate change. Supporters of renewable energy have said that the economic and climate crisis actually provides a great opportunity for Australia to restructure, a "green new deal", turning jobs with high polluters into careers in clean energy.