Community gets behind ‘Stop the Kimberley gas plant’ TV Ad campaign – now airing on Australia’s east coast

The Wilderness Society WA Inc
Media Release
7 March 2010

To view the ad., visit: http://www.wilderness.org.au/kimberley-tv-ad

The Wilderness Society has joined with Kimberley residents, Indigenous Traditional Owners, local environment groups and professional filmmakers to produce a television advertising campaign highlighting opposition to the proposed LNG industry on the Kimberley coast. The 30 second advertisement has been shown on WA television and a fundraising campaign has provided the backing required to launch the ad for a primetime run on SBS world news in Sydney and Melbourne, beginning 8th of March 2010.

The Wilderness Society WA Kimberley Campaigner Josh Coates said “Australian’s have got behind this important advertisement which gives a voice to local Indigenous Traditional Owners and the broader community who are horrified by the prospect of polluting industry on the Kimberley coast.

“To date supporters have donated over $40,000 to allow us to screen the commercial on Sydney and Melbourne prime time television and WA cinema screens.

“The TV ad’s message is that the Kimberley is a much loved place with great economic opportunities and it should not be ruined by inappropriate industrial development.

“This campaign is necessary to counter government misinformation and bullying surrounding the proposal to build a huge LNG facility at James Price Point near Broome. Both the WA and Federal Governments are trying to force the project through despite all the project’s impacts, risks and economic costs.

“If the Kimberley with its unique and world-renowned values can not be made safe from this kind of short-sighted industrial development, then nowhere on the planet is safe.”

The facts are:
1.    The James Price Point LNG site has not received either State or Federal environmental approval, nor Traditional Owner consent, nor sign-off from the Browse joint venture partners (Shell; Chevron; BP; BHP);
2.    Local residents and tourism operators don’t want it, and over 200 Traditional Owners for the proposed site have signed a declaration opposing the development;
3.    Premier Barnett has repeatedly threatened to compulsorily acquire the land at James Price Point if Traditional Owners don’t agree to the LNG plant;
4.    Federal Resources Minister Ferguson has threatened joint venture companies they will lose their Browse gas leases if they don’t agree to terms designed to force them to the James Price Point site;
5.    If this project proceeds it will inevitably lead to a whole range of other proposals for destructive industry in the Kimberley, including strip mining on the Mitchell Plateau and dams and coal mining in the Fitzroy valley;
6.    There are better ways to create more jobs in the Kimberley – including Indigenous jobs, and there are other places for this kind of polluting industry.