Minister Burke Visit Walmadam Camp (James Price Point)

Phillip Roe, welcoming the Environment Minister Tony Burke into Country and introduced the Minister to the Songline. Phillip tried to explain the importance of their Cultural Heritage and their spiritual responsibilities and human duty to keep safe guard, protect, maintain and care for Country.

Brown makes a stand against proposed 'biggest gas plant on the planet'

Greens Leader Bob Brown has slammed Western Australian Premier Colin Barnett over his handling of the Kimberley gas hub project.

Senator Brown is in the Kimberley and yesterday toured James Price Point, the site chosen by the WA Government to process the multi-billion dollar Browse Basin gas reserves.

At a public meeting in Broome, he told the crowd that the Premier's decision to compulsorily acquire the land was a poor decision. He went on to say that he would do everything in his power to put the issue on the national agenda.

"Having been to James Price Point with the traditional owners, and having put my hand in the sand, I am committed, until the last day I draw breath, to have it stay as it is," he said.

"I've read what Premier Barnett says about James Price Point, that it's 'unremarkable'," Senator Brown said.

"From that I know one thing, you, in Western Australia, have a Premier who is unremarkable.

Chevron Kimberley hub a priority

By: ANDREA HAYWARD AND REBECCA LE MAY
AAP
Chevron says the Woodside Petroleum Ltd-led Browse joint venture is one of its top priorities but has not yet backed a proposal to process gas from the project at a hub in Western Australia's Kimberley region.

Woodside has chosen James Price Point near Broome for such a hub, but joint venture participants BHP Billiton Ltd, BP, Chevron and Shell have not yet ratified the decision.

And it is not the choice of 78% of long term Broome local residents, many traditional Owners and the majority of the Cultural Law bosses to have this polluting industry imposed on to us, onto our landscapes, into our environment and our community. The facts are that as a community we have never been asked if we want the biggest proposed 14 processing trains LNG precinct in the entire world nor do we as a community want to spend our working lives in service to it.

"Yes they swim past James Price Point,"

Western Australia's Premier Colin Barnett says he will do all he can to protect whales from being affected by a gas development in the Kimberley.

Green groups say an aerial survey has recorded large numbers of humpback whales near James Price Point.

The area, 60 kilometres north of Broome, has been selected by the WA Government as the best place to locate a processing hub for gas taken from the Browse Basin.

Environmentalists have been campaigning against LNG developments being located on the Kimberley coast.

The Wilderness Society, the Conservation Council, and Environs Kimberley say James Price Point should not be an industrial site.

Campaigner Richard Costin organised the aerial survey.

"Over a two-hour flight, we recorded about 102 pods, which represented 162 individual whales, which is one of the highest concentrations anywhere in the world," he said.

"I think that Colin Barnett and also the Federal Government and (Federal Environment Minister) Peter Garrett need to really carefully consider what's going on here.

"They need to actually do a lot more comprehensive studies in the area, probably over the next couple of years, before they actually jump in and make any decision on putting an industrial complex there at James Price Point."

Mr Costin says the companies involved in the Browse Basin should be seriously considering processing gas offshore.

"The best option for developing the gas is to move on to floating LNG technology," he said.

"At the moment Shell are actually considering that for their Prelude Field and a number of other operators around the world are now looking at floating LNG as the best option."

Mr Barnett says it is not surprising to have a large number of humpback whales in the area.

"The whale population migrating up the Western Australian coast is one of the great whale migrations on the planet," he said.

"There are 22,000 whales doing that trip backwards and forwards each year. The numbers I'm advised, are increasing at about 10 per cent per year."

Mr Barnett says the Government will not allow any development at James Price Point to bring harm to the whales. He says whales can be seen off many other industrial sites.

"Yes they swim past James Price Point," he said.

"They swim past Geraldton. They swim past Kwinana. They swim past Bunbury. They go up and down the coast every year and we will ensure that they are not in any way adversely impacted by the development on shore of an LNG precinct at James Price Point."

North Head was considered as a site for the LNG hub but was knocked back because of a high concentration of whales. Mr Barnett says James Price Point will be the location.

"James Price Point, on environmental grounds, on isolation from communities, on offshore and onshore geological and technical conditions, is clearly the best location," he said.