Hydraulic fracturing, or ‘fracking’, is an extremely polluting method of onshore gas extraction. At a commercial scale, fracking involves drilling hundreds or even thousands of wells through groundwater aquifers – then pumping chemicals, sand, and water underground at high pressure to fracture deep rock formations in order to release trapped gas. Fracking is banned in many jurisdictions around the world due to community opposition and observed environmental impacts. Western Australia is host to some of the world’s largest unconventional gas deposits, and several years ago CCWA identified the emerging fracking industry as a very large potential source of carbon pollution – and one of the most significant threats to our environment and communities.Though only a dozen unconventional gas wells have have been fracked so far in WA, we’ve already seen serious environmental impacts of fracking.
Under the Barnett Government, unconventional gas exploration licenses were issued across vast areas of the state – without any community consultation or environmental impact assessment – covering some of our most important groundwater aquifers, environment and tourism areas, farmland and Aboriginal lands. Responding to this major threat, CCWA has been engaged in a significant multi-pronged campaign effort to prevent the development of the fracking industry here in WA. Opposition to fracking was a major issue during 2017 State Election as CCWA’s Frack Free Future partnered with influential Western Australians including Tim Winton, John Butler, and Carmen Lawrence to highlight the dangers of this industry to a large audience. Through this and other efforts, Frack Free Future played a critical role in securing election commitments to a new policy approach on fracking from the McGowan Labor team.
Action taken by the McGowan Government in response to this campaign has so far included a fracking ban in the South West, Peel, and Perth regions, and a moratorium on fracking in other parts of the state pending a scientific inquiry into the impacts of fracking. The strength behind this campaign has been the incredible community of support that has been generated across the state, led by CCWA and other partner organisations including Lock the Gate, The Wilderness Society, and Environs Kimberley, and working in close partnership with landowners and Traditional Owners.
Over the past year, CCWA’s Frack Free Future community has:
Grown to more than 20,000 people taking action across the state
Established Fracking Local Action Groups (FLAGs) to organise community events and other campaign activities in key communities
Influenced the WA Labor party platform at the 2017 State Conference and supported hundreds of community members to rally outside the conference
Published original academic research and hosted expert forums
Secured media coverage in print, online, and broadcast media, including television advertisements in the lead up to the 2017 State Election
Frack Free Future will continue to work with people, communities, businesses, and organisations across the state to secure a permanent ban on gas fracking in Western Australia.
Help us call on Western Australian Parliament to declare an immediate state-wide moratorium on unconventional gas and fracking. Everyone needs water – this issue affects you! It’s already been stopped in Victoria, Tasmania and the Northern Territory. Here in WA, fracking is much closer than you think. The current state government fully supports fracking. It’s issued thousands of exploration licences from Margaret River to Broome covering the Yarragadee north and south aquifers, which supply our drinking water. Operations have already begun in the Mid-West and Kimberley and The Swan Valley has been earmarked for exploration. The upcoming March 2017 election is your opportunity to protect our state from the permanent damage posed by this dangerous, unassessed and accident-prone industry. Help us grow the frack free movement to make this an election issue. Let’s stop fracking now!
Add your name to our petition. The Frack Frack Free movement needs you. Here are some quick and easy ways you can help protect our state right now:
• Sign our Let’s Stop Fracking WA petition
• Then promote the petition on social media
Here are some other ways to get involved:
• Display one of placards in your front garden
• The more people know about what we’re doing, the better. Order one below.
• Visit, write to or call your local representative
Fracking must be a serious issue at the WA election on March 11, 2017. That means every State MP and election candidate, and especially those in the metro area, must feel the heat from their voters. See contacts for your local reps. Please send us a picture of yourself with your local candidate/MP for us to share on our social media. Send your pics to us.
• Visit, write to or call your local councillors
• Ask them to pass a motion declaring their council frack-free.
• Hold an info stall
• Take some of our flyers and hold a stall at a local market or an info table at a local event. Contact us for more information and resources.
• Hold a meeting or film screening Organise a local public meeting for anyone wanting to know more about fracking in WA. Or gather friends and colleagues for a private meeting in your home. Speak to us [here Contact Page] for meeting tips and to get a copy of our video resources.
• Write letters to the editor
• Letters to the editor are good way to influence public discussion about fracking. Get in touch with us for letter writing tips.
• Fill in your details below to let us know how you’d like to be involved.
• Will you volunteer?
• Display a Frack Free Future placard? Get some of our flyers to hand out?
• Talk to us about contacting your local representatives?
• Hold a meeting or film screening?
• Get some info about writing letters to the editor?
• Help in any other way?