Move Gorgon to mainland: WWF calls for bipartisanship and common sense
20 Sep 2007
WWF today called on Federal Environment Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Opposition Spokesman Peter Garrett not to rush to judgement on the Gorgon gas proposal to 'clear the decks' before the election.
Instead, WWF is calling for bipartisan support for a rapid assessment of alternative sites on the mainland, such as Onslow which has now been earmarked by industry for LNG processing.
Senior Policy Advisor, Paul Gamblin said, "When the dredges start grinding through hectares of healthy coral, and rare turtles return to find kilometres of causeway and jetty, and the risk to already threatened marsupials is raised to dangerous levels, the Minister and Opposition Spokesman may well wish they had steered the project to the mainland. Gorgon on Barrow could leave a poisonous legacy."
Less than a fortnight ago, the WA Government approved the project under state law, officially handing the final decision to the Federal Minister who must now assess the risks to threatened species and sensitive ecosystems protected under federal law. Both governments will place conditions on the project.
"Conditions can make a difference but in a case like this they amount to wrapping cellotape around a hand grenade", said Mr Gamblin.
Dr Ray Nias, Director of Conservation said, "Why put at risk one of Australia's oldest and most important nature reserves when there are much better alternatives? Will the Minister reach for a rubber stamp or seek to find a win-win?"
"Approving Gorgon on Barrow means endorsing the WA Government's rejection of the Environmental Protection Authority's advice against the Island option and ignoring the warnings of esteemed scientists."
(Earlier this year an average of 1000 people a day signed WWF's international online petition calling for Gorgon to be moved to the mainland). See also Gas weighs heavily on Barrow wildlife
More information
Paul Gamblin, Senior Policy Advisor, WWF-Australia
Phone: 08 9387 6444
Mobile: 0410 221 508
Paula Schibeci, Communications Officer, WWF-Australia
Phone: 08 9387 6444
Mobile: 0406 381 137
Notes
Some of the threatened species on Barrow Island include the:
Burrowing Bettong Bettongia lesueur - extinct on the mainland (except for recent translocations from islands).
Golden Bandicoot Isoodon auratus - both the mainland and endemic Barrow Island subspecies are listed as vulnerable.
Black-flanked Rock-wallaby Petrogale lateralis lateralis - listed as vulnerable.
Flatback turtle Natator depressus - listed as vulnerable. The proposed LNG plant would be adjacent to significant nesting beaches for this species.
Barrow Island also hosts species only found on the island (endemics) including Rhamphotyphlops longissimus a blind snake that only occurs on the island and is believed to be the only snake in the world that lives entirely underground
Other endemics include the Barrow Island Euro Macropus robustus isabellinus, and the Barrow Island Black-and-white Fairy-Wren Malurus leucopterus leucopterus. There are also numerous species of invertebrate troglofauna and stygofauna (cave dwellers) known only from Barrow Island.
