2025-01-29
In a balance of power position, the Greens (WA) will negotiate to ban fracking across the whole of the Kimberley.
Currently, fracking is banned in WA’s south west, Peel, Perth and parts of the Dampier Peninsula, leaving the Kimberley open to the highly polluting, destructive industry.
This fracking carve out for the Kimberley was created in 2018 by WA Labor under former Premier Mark McGowan and has led to Texan fossil fuel company Black Mountain applying to drill and frack 20 oil and gas wells in the Martuwarra Fitzroy River catchment in the stunning West Kimberley.
The WA EPA is currently assessing Black Mountain’s proposal and a decision will be required of the WA Government after the election.
In December 2024, Environment Minister Reece Whitby approved Woodside’s North West Shelf extension which could pave the way for fracking proposals in the Kimberley.
WA’s Kimberley region is home to tens of thousands of First Nations people who have protected and cared for their Country for more than 60,000 years.
The Kimberley has the largest, most intact tropical savannah left in the world and its nature and culture, with vast dramatic landscapes, are the draw cards for the $500 million tourism industry.
It is full of globally significant wetlands, free-flowing river systems and pristine oceans, and provides refuge for threatened wildlife that have disappeared from most of Australia.
The Greens will hold the major parties to account and give the Kimberley the protection it deserves.
In a balance of power position, the Greens will push for:
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Extend the current fracking ban to cover all of the Kimberley and the midwest.
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Rejection of Black Mountain’s proposal to drill and frack 20 oil and gas wells in the Martuwarra Fitzroy River catchment.
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Increase protection for the Kimberley’s stunning intact natural landscapes, rivers and oceans through a co-design process with Traditional Owners.
Quotes attributable to Greens WA candidate and Fossil Fuels Spokesperson Sophie McNeill:
“WA Labor caved into pressure from fossil fuel companies in 2018 and gave them a licence to frack our state’s most stunning and untouched region. It is past time for this to end.
"Fracking is banned for good reason in the south west, Peel and Perth regions. It is a dangerous, risky practice that destroys and poisons water supplies and scars our landscapes.
"Labor knows it's unsafe which is why they have banned it down south - so why should the people of the Kimberley have to suffer the consequences of this cowboy industry?
"We have seen the devastation caused by fracking in other parts of Australia and across the world.
"Why does WA Labor think it’s ok to protect communities in the rest of the state from this toxic practice, but not the people of the Kimberley?
"Only the Greens will stop fossil fuel companies turning the Kimberley into Texas.”
Quotes attributable to Greens WA candidate for Fremantle Felicity Townsend:
“This is an issue extremely close to the hearts of the Fremantle community.
"A recent survey of over 1,000 people in the seat of Fremantle revealed that 92% of voters want a ban on fracking and 72% are willing to change their vote for it.
"Local Fremantle member and current Minister for Water Simone McGurk has the power to end this dangerous practice tomorrow, but instead she has allowed fossil fuel companies to run her government’s agenda.
"Recent analysis by climate scientists has demonstrated there could be 8,700 oil and gas fracking wells across the Kimberley in places like the Martuwarra Fitzroy River and Roebuck Bay catchments with full scale development and a pipeline to the Pilbara.
"It is only the Greens who are listening to the people of Fremantle on this critical issue and who have the power to turn a ban on fracking in the Kimberley into reality.”
Quotes attributable to Greens MLC Dr Brad Pettitt (speaking from Broome):
“The Broome community was outraged in 2018 when WA Labor gave fossil fuel companies a license to frack the Kimberley.
"The people of the Kimberley have fought tooth and nail to stop fracking and protect the Kimberley for the past 15 years.
"This is a community that defeated Woodside at James Price Point; who have shown time and time again that they will not allow this Country to be destroyed by fossil fuel multinationals.
”It beggars belief that Labor would allow the pristine, intact Kimberley environment to turn into a vast network of fracking wells that risk poisoning the region’s water supplies and critical river networks.
"The Cook Labor government must stop putting the demands of fossil fuel companies before that of the well-being of the WA community.”