West Atlas Environmental disaster highlights risks associated with proposed Kimberley developments

The Wilderness Society WA Inc
Joint Media Release
Reissued 24 August 2009

The Wilderness Society and Environs Kimberley are shocked and concerned by the ongoing environmental crisis currently occurring off the Kimberley coast.

Speaking from the internationally recognised Ramsar-listed wetlands of Roebuck Bay near Broome after participating in community seagrass monitoring, the Wilderness Society’s Kimberley campaigner Josh Coates said:

 “The Kimberley marine environment is currently one of the least impacted in the world and a disaster of this scale could have serious and ongoing impacts on marine life here including whales, dolphins and endangered turtles known to occur in the area.”

 “The Kimberley coral reef province is of global significance and is comparable to the Great Barrier Reef; this oil spill could have disastrous effects on the marine life here.” said Environs Kimberley Director Martin Pritchard.

“Oil spills damage coral reefs and seagrass habitats which are the breeding areas of many fish and crustaceans. Birds covered in oil are easy prey and will quickly succumb to hypothermia and marine mammals lose body weight when they can’t feed due to contamination of their environment – this is a horror story for Kimberley marine life,” Mr Pritchard said.

“We are calling on the Federal Government to stop approving oil and gas developments in the Kimberley marine environment in advance of measures to protect the region’s outstanding natural values. We are particularly concerned about the environmentally sensitive Scott Reef where Woodside and its Joint Venture partners Shell, Chevron, BP and BHP are planning to build a rig to send gas to James Price Point - 50km north of Broome” said Mr Coates.

“If a similar spill happened there it would have devastating consequences for the reef and could also wash ashore in the Kimberley in a Humpback Whale nursery and migratory zone.” Mr Coates said.

“Our State and Commonwealth governments, Woodside and the Browse Joint Venture partners Shell, Chevron, BP and BHP should all be taking a close look at what is occurring off the Kimberley coast and rule out unnecessary and environmentally risky options like bringing fossil fuel processing on to the sensitive Kimberley coast.”