Mining and Petroleum

Mining and Petroleum

Greens warn Government against 'holiday release' of fracking decision

Thursday, 22nd November 2018

The Greens (WA) have warned the State Government against releasing the outcome of the fracking inquiry and any resulting decision just as Parliament ends, with Greens MP Robin Chapple arguing that the decision must be open to Parliamentary scrutiny.

Environment spokesperson Robin Chapple MLC said that there was a real risk that Labor would dump the report findings just as Parliament finishes for the year, hoping to avoid scrutiny, and has called on the McGowan Government to release the findings of the report immediately.

“We saw the Feds do it with climate emissions data on the eve of the Grand Final, we know that it is a tactic of Governments to release unpopular decisions or damning data when people are paying least attention.

“The WA Government should release the findings of the fracking report so that the public can examine it for themselves.

“The community will not put up with a halfway measure similar to the NT, and we will not allow groundwater to be poisoned in the name of extra cash for big companies.

“There is no future for fracking in WA. Submissions made by Buru Energy saw that there was no plan to properly manage waste from this toxic industry.

“We simply cannot allow an industry like this to operate if we wish to mitigate climate change and keep to our Paris commitments. Climate change is already affecting WA, and for the State Government to rip open WA for fracking would be tantamount to giving up.

“WA has huge potential for solar energy, which is clean, renewable and affordable. The Government should be investing in renewable energy rather than bowing to the pressure of lobbyists and federal Labor.

“Communities are waiting with baited breath to see the outcome of this scientific inquiry, and to see if the WA Government will commit to protecting the land by banning fracking across WA.

“The Greens are backing the communities, farmers and action groups that are firmly against fracking. We are calling on the State Government to join us and commit to a total ban on fracking.

“I remain hopeful that the State Government will come out against fracking, particularly given the huge amounts of pressure applied by community groups as well as members within the Labor Party’s own ranks.”

Media Contact: Liam Carter – 0449 151 490

State Government must not cave to Shorten’s frack demands

Monday, 11th September 2018

The Greens (WA) have warned the State Government against caving to the wishes of federal Labor leader Bill Shorten to open land up for fracking.

Environment spokesperson Robin Chapple MLC said that there was a real risk that Labor would open up WAs North to fracking due to pressure from corporate lobbyists as well as Bill Shorten.

“Bill Shorten has joined a chorus of big business lobbyists calling on parts of Australia to be opened up to fracking. The NT Labor Government just opened up half the Territory to fracking, and Bill Shorten is now calling on the Victorian Government to reverse its fracking ban.

“The WA Government must resist pressure from lobbyists and their federal colleagues, and commit to a total moratorium on fracking in WA.

“The community will not put up with a halfway measure similar to the NT, and we will not allow groundwater to be poisoned in the name of extra cash for big companies.

“There is no future for fracking in WA. Submissions made by Buru Energy saw that there was no plan to properly manage waste from this toxic industry.

“We simply cannot allow an industry like this to operate if we wish to mitigate climate change and keep to our Paris commitments. Climate change is already affecting WA, and for the State Government to rip open WA for fracking would be tantamount to giving up.

“WA has huge potential for solar energy, which is clean, renewable and affordable. The Government should be investing in renewable energy rather than bowing to the pressure of lobbyists and federal Labor.

“Communities are waiting with baited breath to see the outcome of this scientific inquiry, and to see if the WA Government will commit to protecting the land by banning fracking across WA.

“The Greens are backing the communities, farmers and action groups that are firmly against fracking. We are calling on the State Government to join us and commit to a total ban on fracking.”

Media Contact: Liam Carter – 0449 151 490

 

Government should support local manufacturing jobs: Greens MP

Thursday, 2nd August 2018

The Greens (WA) spokesperson for mining, Robin Chapple MLC, has called for a review of WAs capacity to produce steel for international markets in the wake of a decision to move manufacturing jobs offshore by BHP.

Calling on Pilbara Labor MP Kevin Michel to address local concerns over manufacturing jobs, Mr Chapple argued that an inquiry into the viability of steel manufacturing should be conducted to protect WA jobs in regional areas.

“While there is certainly a need to maintain the viability of producing steel for companies like BHP, good jobs are increasingly hard to come by in regional areas, particularly in the manufacturing sector.

“The silence from the local Labor MP has been deafening, particularly when he has been keen to talk about local jobs in the past. There are 20,000 tonnes of structural steel work being sent offshore and so far we have had no commentary from the Labor Party, or any other party for that matter.

“The Greens want to see local jobs for regional communities, jobs for young people and others searching for work.

“According to the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union, around 2000 jobs could be sent offshore, jobs that could be filled by West Australians.

“It is certainly worrying that we have heard no update from the local Labor member, so we are eagerly awaiting some sort of response to this issue.

“There is huge potential in the lithium industry for WA, and ideally this will result in downstream manufacturing as well – something that has been lacking in the existing iron ore industry.

“The State Government may well be about to preside over a boom in lithium mining and the potential for battery production so their response to this decision to offshore manufacturing job is indicative of how our burgeoning lithium industry will be handled.

“The Greens would welcome additional manufacturing jobs for WA.”

Media contact: Liam Carter – 0449 151 490

 

 

 

 

Government tries to dodge Freedom of Information over Burrup development

Wednesday, 20 June 2018

Greens Mining and Pastoral MP Robin Chapple will challenge the outcome of a Freedom of Information application to the WA Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Information after receiving nine all but completely blanked out pages.

“I have seen large redactions in FoI responses before but this is next-level. This was a routine FoI request, yet the Government is going to unprecedented lengths to keep the details of industrialisation in the North a secret,” Mr Chapple said.

“My original request sought all correspondence between the Department and the proponents of Coogee Methanol Plant and Perdaman Karratha Urea Plant, which was a standard FoI request in terms of scope.

“In May, the Department told me the request would result in too many documents, so I agreed at their urging to amend my application to just the ‘record of any discussion’ between the companies and the Department. 

“The result: nine pages of meeting minutes with all the minutes blanked out – just leaving two meeting dates in May and November 2017 and a list of government agencies who attended along with Murujuga Aboriginal Corporation.

“I will appeal this outcome and reinstate the terms of my original FoI request. This experience does make me wonder if the Department has something to hide.”

Mr Chapple made the FoI application after a briefing note by the Department to the Premier dated April 2018 was leaked. The document purported to warn that timing of World Heritage listing for the Burrup was ‘critical’ as there would be a reluctance for new industries to locate to the Peninsula once the listing had gone ahead.

  • Photo of Robin Chapple with the blank pages attached.

Media Contact: Liam Carter – 0449 151 490

 

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