WA Greens Mines and Petroleum spokesperson Robin Chapple MLC said he was disappointed by comments from Opposition Leader Mark McGowan that suggested Labor supported onshore LNG processing near Karratha.
“Mr McGowan last week suggested Woodside’s Browse LNG project could have been underway years ago with an onshore processing plant near Karratha, originally earmarked for the Burrup Peninsula,” Mr Chapple said.
“It is extremely disappointing to learn that both major parties continue to support the desecration of some of Australia’s, arguably the world’s, most significant Aboriginal rock carvings.
“We have already lost so much of the Burrup to industry – as much as 11% or over 10,000 carvings – surely what remains is worth protecting to the highest possible standard; a World Heritage Listing.
“To the best of my knowledge, Woodside has investigated potentially piping gas to the Burrup on a number of occasions previously and found it to be fiscally untenable.
“The WA Greens do not support any new development on the Burrup Peninsula whatsoever; the long-term benefits of protecting this site far outweigh any others, particularly from a dying fossil fuel industry.”
For comment please contact Media Liaison Tim Oliver on 0431 9696 25 or 9486 8255.
Aboriginal Affairs Minister Peter Collier acknowledged yesterday in Parliament that 14 culturally significant sites near Port Hedland had not, and likely would not, be assessed in the near future despite years of promises.
WA Greens spokesperson for Aboriginal Affairs Robin Chapple MLC said the lack of respect shown by the Minister with regards to Aboriginal heritage sites was simply appalling.
“This is a Minister who has either completely lost control of his department, or simply does not care about the people and culture who fall under his jurisdiction,” Mr Chapple said.
“I wrote to the Minister in January 2013 requesting, on behalf of traditional owners, that these sites be assessed as a matter of priority due to their location and cultural significance.
“The Minister promised that the assessment would happen by the March 2013 ACMC meeting, something which never eventuated.
“I have reminded the Minister several times on record that he made that promise to the Kariyarra people of Port Hedland.
“I am almost at my wits end; this is yet another example of how this government is systematically failing Aboriginal people in Western Australia on a personal, departmental and ministerial level.”
For comment please contact media liaison Tim Oliver on 08 9486 8255 or 0431 9696 25.
Greens Member for the Mining and Pastoral Region, Robin Chapple MLC, says that he remains strongly opposed to the re-tabled Aboriginal Heritage Act amendments, and will seek to strike them down.
“All the Bill provides for, with regard to the voice of Aboriginal peoples, is the transfer of most of the Aboriginal Cultural Material Committee’s functions to the Department of Aboriginal Affairs’ Chief Executive Officer,” he explained.
“The government has left substantial matters to undrafted regulations, such as what the CEO will consider and information required before deciding what is left on or taken off the register.
“It is disappointing that the Bill omits all of which have been repeatedly raised in previous reports on the Act and also in the 2012 round of submissions; all of which aimed to improve protection of Aboriginal heritage and the involvement of Aboriginal peoples in that process.
“There has been enough community backlash to see people are vehemently opposed to this Bill.
“If the Government are true to their word and want to design legislation that protects our unique Aboriginal heritage, then it is back to the drawing board they must go.
“The Greens will continue to oppose the Bill in its current form. “
For more information please contact Robin Chapple on 9486 8255
WA Greens Energy spokesperson Robin Chapple MLC has labelled Minister Marmion’s latest plug in support of uranium mining in Western Australia as ‘seriously flawed’.
“The WA Greens will not accept uranium mining in this state any more than we will accept Mr Marmion’s premise for asking us too,” Mr Chapple said.
“Contrary to Mr Marmion’s statements I’d say that the Paris Conference didn’t really lend much hope to the nuclear industry and came out strongly in support of renewable energy as the best way to tackle future energy crises and climate change.
“And, there is a whole host of other factors not being considered here. Vast amounts of concrete are used to build a nuclear reactor, one of the most energy intensive processes known to man.
“Nuclear waste must be stored for decades once it has been spent and as a producer, we would understandably be expected to share this burden.
“I think it’s unlikely there will be an increase in global demand for uranium either. The rate at which nuclear reactors are being shutdown far exceeds the rate at which they are being built and it is difficult to imagine that status quo changing.
“Uranium mining is not a small, low-impact commitment but a long term responsibility that will have implications for generations after the mine is no longer producing.”
The WA Greens have criticised the state government and opposition for passing tough mandatory sentencing laws that breach the international convention on the rights of a child.
“It was extremely disappointing to see such universal support for a bill that is so fraught with opportunities for misuse and unintended consequences,” WA Greens MLC Robin Chapple said.
“The convention states that in a case involving a minor, detention must be a last resort - these laws remove the ability of a court to use discretion and hence clearly breach the convention.
“We should be allowing the judiciary to make decisions relating to children, not mandating from Parliament.”
WA Greens MLC Lynn MacLaren said that mandatory sentencing had a disproportionate impact on marginalised West Australians with little evidence to suggest that it reduced crime in any context.
“Home burglaries are ultimately a crime of despair – it would be nice to see a government who was willing to actually invest in people and invest in rehabilitation,” Ms MacLaren said.
“I challenge the State Government, and Canning candidate Andrew Hastie, who has weighed into this debate to support mandatory sentencing extensions - to produce their evidence to show that mandatory sentencing will reduce the number of home burglaries.
“I also challenge the Government to commit to implementing the policies that are known to work to reduce crime. That is, long term, research-linked, community-based strategies, including health-based substance abuse programs.”
For comment please contact media liaison Tim Oliver on 08 9486 8255 or 0431 9696 25
WA Greens Energy spokesperson Robin Chapple MLC said he was astounded to learn of a provision in Synergy customer agreements that prohibited them from installing a household battery, or charging an electric car.
"Battery storage systems are going to completely revolutionise the way that we use energy, offering West Australians the opportunity to simultaneously save money and cut their household emissions," Mr Chapple said.
"The Greens solar postcodes report, produced by Senator Scott Ludlam, has shown that 1 in 5 WA households now have rooftop solar - an increase of 19% in just one year - suggesting that WA is prime for the uptake of emerging battery technology.
“The WA Greens predict battery storage systems will be at the forefront of a huge energy shift and as such are re-evaluating their Energy 2029 plan so that we have the best policy to allow West Australian's to benefit from new energy generation technologies.
“But bizarrely the Barnett government seems to be blocking it out of the market completely; a response that is protectionist and frankly not in the best interests of their constituents.
"Under it’s current structure – with an almost $600 million annual subsidy – Mike Nahan has conceded the WA grid is unsustainable, yet in practice the Barnett government’s policies tell a different story.”
Mr Chapple said he had grave concerns about some of the broader implications of the policy for society.
“These systems will allow people with sleep apnoea or home dialysis machines to be secure in the knowledge that their device is not going to switch off in the event of a power outage which, let’s face it, is an all too common theme across parts of this state,” he said.
“Home security systems will be less reliant on grid power, as will firefighting capabilities in an emergency situation – I could go on and on.”
Mr Chapple said he was also afraid large numbers of Synergy consumers might have already signed the agreement.
“We have almost 50% of households in the Canning electorate with some form of rooftop solar; did Synergy force them all to agree to these Terms and Conditions?” he said.
“To me, this is a policy that is punishing those very consumers who have taken the first step towards sustainable energy generation. It is a policy approach that dictates to those wishing to take up solar that they must maintain the status quo.”
For comment please contact Robin Chapple on 0409 379 263 or 9486 8255.
