Despite being confronted with the full force and influence of Woodside and its bedfellows, dissenting communities are fighting might with right. Woodside Vs The Goodside
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 18th 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 17o 34’ 41.59” S and 122o 09’ 14.48” E and James Price Point is at 17o 29’ 01.63” S and 122o 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?
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
On Thursday, the 26th 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.
In 2008, the Broome International Airport built helicopter hangers on the salt marsh as you enter Broome. At the time of construction concerns were raised with the EPA about the pindan and the amount that had been dumped over the delicate and vital salt marsh, in order to lay foundations for this construction. This video clearly demonstrates the pindan erosion and the subsequent bleeding of the pindan over the salt marsh and into the mangrove eco-communities. Broome at its highest point is only 7 metres above sea level. This construction is on sea level and subsequently is incredibly vulnerable to the rising sea levels, because the mangrove community, (which they are killing) is the only barrier that is currently keeping the sea at bay. This is the beginning of the gas industry invasion into the Kimberley coast. Hands Off Country Stand up for the Planet
It's ridiculous that no study was done to determine if there would be damage done to the mangroves. The mangrove forests around Broome are vibrant ecological communities which form part of an ecotone between the land and the bay. Of all tropical mudflats studied Roebuck Bay has the greatest diversity and abundance of invertebrate life. Roebuck Bay is home to a variety of marine turtles, dugong, dolphins and a great diversity of fish. It is also a key location on the East Asian-Australasian Flyway for migratory shorebirds - visited by 100s of thousands of birds every year. It's a global treasure and cries out for respect and conservation. Given the thoughtless damage to the mangroves, can anyone be trusted with a major development like a LNG hub in the same locality and environment? Comment from Save the Kimberley
Colin Barnett
Tue 23 December, 2008
Portfolio: Premier, State Development
James Price Point, about 60 kilometres from Broome, has been chosen as the site for a liquefied natural gas (LNG) precinct in the Kimberley.
Premier and State Development Minister Colin Barnett said the exact location of the LNG precinct would be determined after full consideration of significant cultural, heritage and environmental values of the area and further technical feasibility studies.
The Premier made the announcement after a visit and inspection of the potential sites earlier this week and meetings with indigenous representatives, environmental groups and local government.
“After extensive consideration, James Price Point has been declared the location most likely to work best for the Kimberley community, for the environment, for industry and for Western Australia’s future economic development,” Mr Barnett said.
“This is a significant step forward; the site has still to undergo a full environmental impact assessment and more detailed technical and social impact studies, before a final approval is given.
“Nomination of James Price Point fulfils this Government’s commitment to urgently identify a site on the Kimberley coast to stimulate WA’s future growth.”
Since 2007, more than 40 possible Kimberley sites were considered and four sites, including James Price Point, were short-listed in October 2008.
The Premier said the Government will now focus its energy on working with traditional owners to secure land tenure over the site and completing social impact assessments to ensure that the project can deliver the benefits it promises, without compromising the special character of Broome and the wider Kimberley region.
“Our aim is to acquire the site by consent. This could include restoring rights equivalent to native title over the site at the cessation of LNG processing. Compulsory acquisition of the land remains an option,” Mr Barnett said.
“With respect to acquisition of the site area, the WA Government has agreed to a proposal by the Commonwealth to fund a facilitator to work with the key parties (WA Government, Woodside, indigenous interests and relevant Commonwealth agencies) towards a negotiated resolution to acquire the site.
“This process has a completion date of March 31, 2009, after which the State Government will begin land acquisition processes.
“WA appears to have lost one major project to Darwin because the previous Labor government could not make a decision to secure the $15billion Inpex project. I do not intend to lose another.
“I am confident that the Woodside Joint Venture partners will choose to use the precinct rather than pursue the option of piping gas 850 kilometres to the Burrup Peninsula, but ultimately that is a decision for industry.
“I am also hopeful that Inpex might reconsider a WA option, for either its Ichthys field or for future gas developments, provided we can provide certainty of tenure over the site.”
Mr Barnett said the development could bring hundreds of jobs, millions of investment dollars and long-term economic diversification for Broome and the West Kimberley.
He said the James Price Point location provided a range of potential development sites along a 10km coastal strip and offered:
• flexibility in locating jetties and processing operations to meet heritage and environmental requirements
• ease of expansion for two, or more than two LNG processing operators should that be required during the life of the Browse basin gas field
• no settlement, homes or businesses within 20 kilometres of the proposed site
The area could easily accommodate a 1,000 to 2,000 hectare, buffered industrial estate, 300 to 400 kilometres from offshore gas producers in the Browse Basin. The Dampier Peninsula has a land area of 14,000 square kilometres.
The Dampier Peninsula coast from Broome to Cape Leveque is about 200 kilometres long - the equivalent of the distance between Perth and Bunbury.
The Browse Basin has proven reserves of 27.5 trillion cubic feet of gas (Tcf) and 600 million barrels of condensate. Gas reserves are estimated at 60 Tcf, making the area comparable to the North West Shelf in terms of prospectivity.
The site selection brings to a natural conclusion the work of the Northern Development Taskforce. Continuing consultation with interested parties will be led by the new Department of State Development which will come into being on January 1, 2009.
The Northern Development Taskforce started work on selecting a site for an LNG development in the Kimberley in June 2007. It has produced or commissioned at least 22 reports into environmental, indigenous and other issues surrounding the proposal.
There were also 243 written submissions on the site selection (shortlist) report plus 46 verbal submissions, a three day workshop in Broome in July and an Environmental Protection Authority report and other reports commissioned by the Commonwealth.
Premier's office - 9222 9475
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Professor Flannery said in a statement that it was critical for emergency and health services, as well as the public, to have the best information from scientists.
''Ignoring it or shooting the messenger will not reduce the threat of climate change, it will just mean that Australia is less prepared,'' he said. ''We'd be living in the past to think that Australia did not need to prepare for a changing climate.''
Professor Flannery, a palaeontologist and author who was Australian of the Year in 2007, has been seen as a polarising figure by some because of his calls to phase out large-scale use of fossil fuels.
Palaeontologist, Dr Steve Salisbury from the University of Queensland, Goolarabooloo Lawman, Richard Hunter and Scientist and former Australian of the year Tim Flannery on the Goolorabooloo coast early morning over Easter examining dinosaur footprints in collaboration with Broome Dinosaur Trackers.
A Climate Commission report released on Wednesday examined links between Australia's extreme weather and human-induced climate change. It found natural events were being influenced by climate change, because greenhouse gases are accumulating and trapping extra energy in the Earth's atmosphere and oceans.
Broome to be Inpex supply hub |
TOLL Mermaid Logistics Broome, a 50%-owned subsidiary of Mermaid Marine, has won a five-year, $20 million contract to provide supply base services to Inpex in Broome, Western Australia. Under the contract TMLB will develop dedicated infrastructure and provide various services at its Broome supply base to support Inpex’s Ichthys LNG project development drilling works. |
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