James Price Point under Renewed Attack from State Government
20 June 2013
Greens WA member for the Mining and Pastoral Region, Robin Chapple MLC, today expressed alarm at the Premier’s latest move to acquire land for a gas hub at James Price Point.
"While not a surprise, today’s announcement by the Premier that he plans to push ahead with his plans for destructive industrial development in the Kimberley, is very disappointing.
“The recent decision by the Browse gas developers to abandon their planned onshore gas hub at James Price Point gave all parties some welcome breathing space to reconsider their positions.
“What an ideal time this was for the Premier to move on and look at the clear alternatives which have always been available in this issue.
“Throughout this process the Premier’s support for onshore processing at James Price Point has made no sense on environmental, social or scientific grounds.The State Government could use this pause in proceedings to seriously rethink its unfortunate enthusiasm for the industrialization of the Kimberley.
“The Greens continue to strongly hold the view that economic benefits of any resources extracted from the Browse basin should flow to the traditional owners of the area, but that significantly better options exist for processing gas that do not involve industrialization of James Price Point.
“This week’s passage of a state agreement over the Canning Basin has apparently given the Premier a renewed head of steam for his obsession with an onshore gas hub in the Kimberley.
“We can now see quite clearly that the need to get the James Price Point development going has become an end in itself – regardless of the relative merits of any associated project.
“There is now no chance of any Browse gas coming ashore at James Price Point – and the prospects of commercial quantities of Canning Basin gas being extracted are dubious at best, and in the distant future – and even its proponents don’t want to use James Price Point.
“The James Price Point gas hub is an obsolete concept – let’s now leave its heritage values intact, let’s leave its precious environment in pristine condition, let’s avoid any further community unrest and division - rescind the Browse (Land) Agreement Act and the Kimberley can be saved for sustainable development and for future generations to enjoy”, concluded Mr Chapple.
