After intense public pressure the WA Government banned fracking across 98% of WA late last year, but left open massive Canning Basin gas fields in the Kimberley. Major players, like Andrew ‘Twiggy’ Forrest’s Squadron Energy, Mitsubishi and West Australian companies Buru Energy and Finder Shale, are now rapidly mobilising in the region to establish the industry before the community can fight back. The Kimberley is now the front-line in the battle to stop fracking in Western Australia. Only three wells have been fracked in the Kimberley. The first was Yulleroo 2 in 2010, by Buru Energy. Community members found this well leaking greenhouse gases — twice. Later it was revealed in the WA Parliament that this well wasn’t inspected by any government department for 7 years, from the time it was drilled until the second leak was reported in 2015. At Asgard, a second well on Noonkanbah station near the Fitzroy River, wastewater was found to be radioactive.
With potentially 40,000 gas wells to be drilled across the Kimberley, it is clear that this polluting industry cannot be managed safely. Check out our submission to the WA fracking inquiry for more details. The WA Government made some major concessions that give hope to the fight to stop fracking. Traditional Owners and freeholders were promised veto rights, and the Government promised to protect the Dampier Peninsula. At least four Traditional Owner groups whose lands cover tens of thousands of square kilometres have said they oppose fracking. However, whilst fracking companies are mobilising, the Government has yet to enact these protections. This is a critical time in the campaign. If the fracking companies pressure and persuade communities to allow fracking now, it will be too late to withdraw support when they start their projects. It is estimated that fracking the Canning Basin alone could release 13.5 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide-equivalent gases (CO2-e) into the atmosphere, Australia’s emissions budget compatible with the Paris Agreement is 5.5 billion tonnes of CO2-e (see report by Climate Analytics).
JOIN THE MOVEMENT TO KEEP THE KIMBERLEY FRACK-FREE
Our long-term strategy is to achieve a legislated fracking ban in the Kimberley (and all of WA). To prevent pollution to Kimberley aquifers, wetlands and rivers like the Fitzroy, we must move now. We are working with the community for a frack-free Kimberley. We will also push hard to keep the WA Government to its promises of a veto for landholders and to exclude the Dampier Peninsula from fracking.
• Join our campaign and call on the McGowan Government to ban fracking in the Kimberley. Sign our petition here.
• If you’d like a Frack Free Kimberley sign, t-shirt, singlet or bumper sticker, visit our shop.
• We need support and resources to fight these giant oil and gas companies.
• If you would like to support us through a one-off or monthly donation, please go here.
More information
• EK submission to the WA fracking inquiry
• Climate Analytics Report into carbon emissions from fracking the Kimberley
• Canning Basin leases map
• Broome leases map
• The Economic Impacts of Unconventional Gas in Western Australia, Report by the Australia Institute.