Kimberley Land Council Sits at Woodside's Table

It has come to the attention of Eyesoncountry, through a very reliable source that whilst the Dampier Peninsula communities were standing up for their country, their lifestyles, their culture and heritage with representatives from NDT, even to the point of blockading entry to Beagle Bay, KLC have been in Perth, negotiating with Woodside, bartering with the hopes, dreams and aspirations of all the Indigenous people living in Dampier Peninsula.

Only last week, KLC’s CEO was on the Peninsular meeting with some leaseholders and Beagle Bay community members supporting them to directly bring their major objections and grave concerns about the proposed LNG Gas Hub and the North Head site to the NDT’s representatives at the proposed meetings the following week. KLC were aware that NDT were seeking to inform people of their intention to drill. At no time did the KLC's CEO inform people about being at the table with Woodside.

In addition, our source informed us that Don Voelte, CEO, Woodside has the following options up their sleeves:

• The Burrup is achievable but the Browse gas would need to be processed through the joint venture LNG plant with additional trains built to existing infrastructure (not Woodside’s sole operator plant Pluto)

• Floating platform is a very serious option. This is the cheapest option and will be the way of the future (generally speaking) to give more flexibility. LNG deposits are becoming increasingly smaller and this option makes sense for the future direction of the industry. The problem at this stage is that the technology is untested and would be built at considerable risk

• And of course North Head and apparently Perpendicular is still on their agenda!!!!!

• According to our source, the Beagle Bay Blockade was the first time Woodside’s CEO had heard that there was an Indigenous problem. Apparently, Woodside had honestly thought that KLC had won the hearts and minds of all Indigenous people.

We understand that KLC is a Prescribed Body Corporate that represents Traditional Owners, however, Eyes On and Hands Off Country believe that KLC have an ethical duty of care to ensure that all Indigenous people have an equal say in something that will change their lives, their culture and heritage forever.

KLC, Woodside, Northern Development Taskforce, State Government Departments, Premier's Office and the Department of Indigenous Affairs, when are you going to be open and transparent, consult and inform all major stakeholders: Traditional Owners, Leaseholders, Stolen generation, long-term community residents?

What part of country are you negotiating over?

At what point in this ”process” will the people of the Peninsula’s objections and their categorical “No’s” be heard, listened to and taken seriously?

Please view for yourselves, people’s adverse reactions to the prospect of a gas hub on the Peninsula.

Barnett names preferred LNG site

15-October-08 by Staff Reporters


Premier Colin Barnett has named North Head, north of Broome, as his preferred site for a gas processing precinct to serve the Browse Basin gas fields, located off the Kimberley coast.
Mr Barnett today said he was keen to develop the area as soon as possible after Japanese company Inpex decided to build a $24 billion processing plant in the Northern Territory instead of WA.
The Premier said he favours North Head, 125km north of Broome, even though it is a dense migratory habitat for humpback whales and is within an Aboriginal reserve.
A report by the Northern Development Taskforce, set up by the previous Labor government, said the overall sensitivity of the marine environment at North Head was considered to be high to very high.
Mr Barnett said today the environment would not be compromised.
"The necessary environmental work will be done," Mr Barnett said.
"We're talking about 2,000 acres in an area twice the size of Victoria."
He said he would welcome further research on marine sensitivity in the area called for yesterday by the Western Australian Marine Science Institution.
The institution is seeking $110 million in funding to further its work along the Kimberley coastline.
Overall the taskforce assessed 11 potential sites but narrowed the recommendation to four including Anjo Peninsula, James Price Point and Gourdon Bay.
The four sites are the same as those shortlisted by the Kimberley Land Council last month which negotiated with Traditional Owners.
The council's chief executive Wayne Bergmann today urged the government to ensure the development had the support of Aboriginal people in the Kimberley.
"Traditional Owners will support development that brings lasting economic benefits, while balancing environmental and cultural values," Mr Bergmann said.
"That means ongoing involvement and jobs in the long term, not money to shut up and go away."
Mr Barnett said he hoped to start exports from the precinct from 2012-13, a timeframe that Woodside Petroleum Ltd chief executive Don Voelte does not agree with.
Mr Voelte said on a best case scenario, the company could have a final investment decision by 2013, and exports starting at 2015.
Meanwhile, Mr Voelte said while the North Head location "suits us very well", he would not rule out piping gas from the Browse Basin project to Karratha.
That option is "bad" according to Mr Barnett who said the state will miss out on benefits of bringing the LNG site onshore.
Other options up for consideration for by Woodside is piping the gas to the North West Shelf, the Burrup or Pluto areas.
The Kimberley
The report is up for a 28-day public comment period and the government hopes to have a final site selected by the end of the year.

The government announcement is pasted below:

The Barnett Government today released the Northern Development Taskforce's Site Evaluation Report on four potential sites for an LNG precinct in the Kimberley.
Released for a 28-day public consultation process, the report earmarks the four sites that best meet the criteria as Gourdon Bay, south of Broome, James Price Point and North Head, both on the Dampier Peninsula and Anjo Peninsula, on the far north Kimberley coast.
Premier Colin Barnett said each site had issues which would need to be addressed by Government, but the necessary work would be done to see the final site confirmed as quickly as possible.
"An LNG precinct site must be selected to enable the growth and prosperity of Western Australia," Mr Barnett said.
"It is a responsibility that has been neglected for the past eight years, but the State Government will ensure a decision is made in the best interests of the State.
"The four proposed sites have been identified after extensive consultation with stakeholders from the community, including environmental groups, the Aboriginal community, the tourism industry, local government, fisheries and aquaculture representatives.
"It's an indictment on the previous government that in eight years it could not select a site for developments to allow the growth of WA.
"For example, if government was better managed in the past, a site could have been selected and WA would not have lost the INPEX project, worth more than $24billion to the State."
The Premier acknowledged the commitment and effort of the Aboriginal community in helping identify the sites in a constructive and timely manner.
Public submissions on the site options can be made until November 11.

The LNG Production Process