Bob Brown leads hundreds in rally for Kimberley whales

Wilderness Society supporters stand in front of the MV Steve Irwin in support of Kimberley whales. Photo: The Wilderness Society Sydney

About 500 people gathered in Sydney on Sunday to join Bob Brown in voicing their opposition over a proposed giant gas factory in the middle of the world’s largest humpback nursery.

Community concern is growing over the development as momentum gathers behind the push to oppose Woodside’s plan to build one of the world’s biggest industrial complexes at James Price Point on the pristine Kimberley coast in northern Western Australia.

The former Australian Greens leader addressed the crowd from the Sea Shepherd flagship, MV Steve Irwin, which has just returned from the Kimberley coast. The passionate crowd then walked from Circular Quay across the Harbour Bridge to Kirribilli House to deliver a message to Prime Minister Julia Gillard: protect the Kimberley's humpbacks from the James Price Point gas project.

Dr Brown said, “The impact of Woodside’s $45 billion project includes a 2.5-kilometre breakwater and a 6km channel dredged 300 metres wide out to sea across the whale nursery, with a city suburb sized gas factory ashore over the Traditional Owners’ land. It would be cheaper to build the factory further south, but the whale nursery has nowhere else to go.”

The previously untouched area surrounding the proposed development is a world-class marine wonderland containing stunning coral reefs, sea grass meadows, sponge gardens and mangroves supporting humpback whales, dugongs, turtles, sawfish and the rare and threatened snubfin dolphin.

Just as significantly, the area is a traditional Aboriginal cultural site and would cut off a well-documented Indigenous songline and heritage trail.

Traditional Owner Philip Roe says: “These gas refineries would destroy our way of life and our Law and Culture which is the oldest surviving in the world. It is our responsibility to look after the world’s largest whale nursery and we need help to protect it and our future generations.”

The approval process of the James Price Point development led by the Western Australian Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has been shrouded in controversy with four of the five board members removed because of conflicts of interest. There is already talk of a legal challenge being mounted to address the EPAs apparent flawed and inadequate process.

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