Bob touches down in Broome

Former Greens leader and Wilderness Society founding member, Bob Brown, with Sea Shepherd Australian Director Jeff Hansen and Federal ALP MP for Fremantle Melissa Parke at a press conference at James Price Point. Photo: Damian Kelly.

Former Greens leader and founding Wilderness Society member, Bob Brown, has jumped aboard a Sea Shepherd vessel to join the opposition to Woodside's proposed gas hub at James Price Point.

Dr Brown said he hopes to raise awareness of the devastating consequences that the project would have on the Kimberley Coast. "If approved, Woodside Petroleum and its partners will pipe gas from the Browse Basin and process it at James Price Point".

As Dr Brown pointed out, the Kimberley’s marine environment is an important Humpback Whale birthing area. "As they [the Sea Shepherd crew] were sailing down the coast this morning off James Price Point, there were whales between this ship, three miles out, and the shore, breaching with calves," he said.

Since 1 July this year, 1,698 whales have been recorded in the area, including 99 calf-and-cow pairs – almost two thirds of which were sighted within five kilometres of the coast.

"Their singing in the ocean is not being listened to by Woodside, or indeed at this stage by the Government in Perth and in Canberra," he said. "Our intention is to let Australians see what a magnificent place this is and how it should remain part of the cultural and natural history of this nation."

From Broome this week, Bob Brown will meet with local people and Indigenous communities from the Kimberley area.