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.

The interests we are up against are MASSIVE

The following email was send to Redhand from John John
The interests you are up against are MASSIVE. You need to make sure that you know who you are going up against and get SMART with your campaigning.

Research is important, so is developing a strategy to win support from people not just in WA, but the world over.

Here are some things to look at VERY CLOSELY and consider carefully how you are going to respond.

1. Major Companies behind Gas Project
http://www.karoongas.com.au/Projects/OffshoreBrowseBasin/tabid/55/Default.aspx
http://www.conocophillips.com.au/business/developments/index.htm

2. Key People you should look at behind the Project - Research their histories
http://www.karoongas.com.au/AboutUs/CorporateInformation/tabid/57/Default.aspx
http://www.conocophillips.com.au/About/index.htm

3. Key Office Locations
http://www.karoongas.com.au/ContactUs/tabid/69/Default.aspx
http://www.conocophillips.com.au/Contact/index.htm

4. Other Research Resources

Book: Indigenous Peoples: Resource Management & Global Rights

Book Description
Rapid industrial development and urban growth increasingly threaten indigenous peoples and their ways of life. As a result, a grassroots movement is spreading among indigenous cultures, and the 1992 Rio Earth Summit catalyzed a UN legal investigation. Indigenous Peoples challenges the assumption that these processes are empowering indigenous peoples in tangible ways by examining the ongoing work, and offers a detailed analysis of the legal, political and institutional implications. This volume is an engaging study of the issues involved in indigenous peoples' rights.
• http://www.amazon.com/Indigenous-Peoples-Resource-Management-Global/dp/905166978X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1234057610&sr=1-1

Book: Rethinking Resource Management: Justice, Sustainability and Indigenous People

Book Description
This book offers students and practitioners a sophisticated and convincing framework for rethinking the usual approaches to resource management. It uses case studies to argue that professional resource managers do not take responsibility for the social and environmental consequences of their decisions on the often vulnerable indigenous communities they affect. It also discusses the invisibility of indigenous people' values and knowledge within traditional resource management. It offers a new approach to social impact assessment methods which are more participatory and empowering. The book employs a range of case studies from Australia, North America and Norway.
• http://www..amazon.com/Rethinking-Resource-Management-Sustainability-Indigenous/dp/041512333X/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1234057610&sr=1-3

Dont Underhand the Red Hand

HANDS OF JAMES PRICELESS POINT

Barnett to push ahead with gas hub plan

5th January 2009, 6:00 WST

Colin Barnett has rejected calls to stop development of a gas processing hub in the Kimberley, saying the State Government’s preferred site at James Price Point was the best compromise between economic development and environmental concerns.

Environmental groups have warned a project on the site would threaten whale breeding grounds and open the door to the industrialisation of the whole Kimberley.

But the Premier said yesterday James Price Point, 60km north of Broome, was an ideal site because of its isolation.

“That peninsular area is some 200km long — it is basically flat tableland that simply comes to the coast,” he said.

“It’s an isolated site with no communities in the vicinity and I believe it would bring immense benefits to the Kimberley in terms of employment and small business opportunities in particular for the indigenous population of the area.

“While I recognise there will be groups, particularly the environmental lobby, which will oppose any development anywhere, James Price Point is not that part of the coast that people identify as being the Kimberley. This is not the spectacular gorge country with waterfalls and the like.”

Environs Kimberley director Martin Pritchard said yesterday an LNG hub at James Price Point would disrupt the migratory patterns of humpback whales.

“The deep sea area at James Price Point is 5km offshore, so they are going to have to dredge and build a huge breakwater, possibly up to 5km out to sea,” he said. “That is going to mean utter devastation for the marine ecology in that area.”

Mr Pritchard said he would prefer gas to be piped to the existing LNG hub in the Pilbara or processed on a floating platform.

Mr Barnett said while technically feasible, a floating LNG processing platform would probably be built in South Korea, negating any benefit to the local economy.

He promised a full environmental assessment and was confident negotiations with indigenous groups would be successful, given talks he had with community members when he visited the area two weeks ago.

Shadow minister for State development Mark McGowan accused the Premier of attempting to force a decision rather than build a consensus for a preferred site among the Kimberley community. He said this could jeopardise development in the region.

PETER KERR

Hub will vandalise the Lurujarri WalkTrail?

Have you walked the Lurujarri Walk Trail? It follows the song cycle through Minyirr Park Broome north along the coast through Quondong and James Price Point and return. The Northern Development Taskforce Site Selection panel have recommended that James Price Point as a possible site for the LNG gas hub to quote:
“............
James Price Point or an area to the north of the Point is recognised as technically
viable for development though not without having some impact on sensitive marine
areas and the pearling and fishing industries. Development would also present
significant pressures and challenges on the tourism infrastructure and the character
of Broome as a tourism destination. In particular, studies into fish aggregation and
whale migration will be critical to establishing whether impacts can be avoided or
minimised. The advantage of a site close to Broome is that it would leave the
Aboriginal lands in the north of the Peninsula free of industrial development. In
addition, shared infrastructure such as the Broome airport would reduce the total hub
footprint.
It is recommended this site be subject to the hub design concept study,
heritage surveys and regional impact studies and considered for a LNG hub........”
The Lurujarri Heritage trail starts at Minarriny (Coulomb Point) and travels south along the coastal dunes following the traditional Aboriginal Song Cycle to Minyirr (Gantheaume Point). The Goolarabooloo community has been assisted with funding since about 1999 to establish the walk as a guided tour. Funding has come from the then Western Australian Heritage Committee and Coastcare funding and has assisted in management and designation of the trail. The walk is open to University students for study purposes as well as for visitors to the area. The guided walk usually takes place in July of each year and takes about 10 days; We have known of overseas visitors come to Broome especially to go on this tour to learn about the stories, history and culture of Aboriginal people and of the natural environment in this area. While the publicised walk trail is a recent invention the song cycle is as old as forever and breaking of the cycle can’t be contemplated. An LNG gas hub at James Price Point or Quondong will do just that. See the map athttp://www.doir.wa.gov.au/documents/Appendix_3_Quondong_Point_to_James_Price_Point_Map_3.jpg

LURUJARRI TRAIL
First posted 17 October, 2008