A Real Reality Check

Colin Barnett wants massive gas reserves in the Browse Basin to be processed at James Price Point, near Broome. Western Australia's Premier has warned he is prepared to force gas companies operating off the Kimberley coast to use his preferred site for a gas hub. Should we really be surprised that the Premier is acting like a dictator by dishing out these types of ominous threats? He did it with the indigenous community with his intimidating dialogue of compulsory acquisition.

Is this the way he is going to threat the Broome Community, our heritage and sense of place? What is the point of environmental and social impact studies when it is the state government who is the proponent for the LNG gas precinct and it is the state government departments who are undertaking these assessments? Somehow, this entire process seems highly floored, extremely questionable and very confusing.

Department of State Development placed a Community Update advertisement in the Broome Advertiser on July 23th stating “Development of the LNG precinct is still subjected to Federal and State assessments of potential environment, heritage and social impacts and evaluation by industry of the economic viability of constructing and operating LNG processing plants at this location”. So what is the truth?

"You will find governments, both here and elsewhere, taking a far more direct role in policy and the development of natural resources, and that's what came through very strongly to me last week in my visit to China," Barnett said.

It appears the Premier is more interested in taking advice from the Chinese rather than from his own government departments. The 2007 State of the Environment Report states: “The state of the environment will ultimately impact on our own wellbeing. It is our collective responsibility to look after our environment, and our collective and individual behaviours will determine how well we do this.” The report goes on to say

• Strategic leadership for environmental matters in WA needs to be strengthened. Priorities for the environment often appear to shift in relation to media attention, with little regard for a long term strategic approach to environmental management. This approach inevitably leads to inefficient and ineffective allocation of resources and reduced environmental outcomes in the long term.
• Significant environmental improvements can be achieved when many individuals and communities modify their behaviours and attitudes to become more environmentally aware. Environmental education and community participation are important components of such change and need to be strengthened in WA.

The health, prosperity and sense of place of this and future generations depend on our ability to stabilise and even reverse major environmental problems. In some instances, we have proved that this is possible, and as a society we have the resources and capacity to retain a healthy environment into the future. Hands Off Country Standing Up for the Planet.