LOCAL POLITICS A WIN!

gasbag
lifting the lid on Browse

GASBAG has not raised a stink for some time, but we havent gone away.

DINOSAUR NEWS

After a heroic and very positive campaign, followed by a nail-biting election evening, two of the four No Gas candidates, Anne Poelina and Mark Manado, made it onto the Broome Shire Council. A tied vote for Shire President was settled, by the drawing of lots, in favour of incumbent Graeme Cambell, and Anne Poelina was voted in as Vice-president. The Press, which has made much of the Aboriginal majority now on Council, has missed the point. In Broome, race is not a major factor; gas and the environment are. Yippee for Anne and Mark! For Kandy and Chris good try and better luck at the next election.

NO ONE LIKES US
There have been the usual attacks in the press. It would appear that all the villains are on our side. Gasbag still hasnt laid eyes on the widely distributed newsletter hurling coconuts and other brickbats, although weve learnt of about five recipients. We believe it was the work of one local crank, known for his occasional rude and barmy missives, none of which has ever before hit the press. This one has been seized on by our critics, including our Premier, the West Australian (what can you expect, with former Woodside CEO, Don Voelte, still on its board?) and The Australian, to tarnish all anti-gas protesters. On behalf of our confrres, Gasbag totally and unequivocally repudiates the letter and all abusive language and behaviour. Read my lips: Environs Kimberley and the other local environmental groups had NOTHING to do with it, as most of our critics well know. Neither do we make racist slurs why on earth would we when we are all colours? The ethos of the protest has always been to remain calm and civil, even when the Downside behaves badly towards us (The Australian please note: it often does!) We remember Gandhi and his non-violent resistance, which won out against the British Empire by occupying the moral high ground as we will continue to do.

GOVERNMENT APPOINTMENT
The WA Government has done it again. It has appointed Elizabeth Carr, formerly Executive Director at the WA Department State Development for the Browse LNG project, to join the four men in suits on the Board of the Environment Protection Authority. Ms Carrs profile on the EPA website makes no mention of her recent significant role with the WA Government. Funny, that.

another BRILLIANT

Those darling dinosaurs are on our side. New research on the coast between Reddell Beach and James Price Point has uncovered many more tracks than were previously known AND the Dampier Peninsula dino trackway has been national-heritage listed. Palaeontologist Steven Salisbury said that tracks found off JPP are quite important ones in contrast with the Department of State Development (DSD)s findings that the quality of the sauropod trackways at James Price Point is very poor and that their destruction would be regrettable but negligible, which sounds like an oxymoron to me. Funny how these discrepancies keep coming up with the bilbies, the turtles, the dinos... DSD has now hired its own dino experts from Canada and the USA to reassess the importance of the prints. DSDs Deputy Director Nicky Cusworth has pre-empted their study by saying she does not expect any discoveries that could derail the development. What would it take, Nicky? Live dinosaurs? GRRROOAAHHRR!. Congratulations to Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke for having the courage to place the dinosaur trackway on the National Heritage list. Thats one more nail in the rather long coffin of the gas hub.

Our Barry speaks

Commonwealth MLC Barry Haase has counted the verges and bins bearing No Gas signs, divided that number by the number of households in Broome, and declared the No Gassers a minority. Does the same logic apply to the Pro-gas verge signs? Ive seen one. Incidentally, Barrys Registration of Interests form for 2011 states that he holds shares in Woodside and in BHPBilliton, among many others. Well, well. Barrys website lists his interests as: environment, anthropology and nature. Harrumph!

BONS MOTS
Mahatma Gandhi

I believe in equality for everyone, except reporters and photographers.* Its a stupid, stupid, ill-conceived, inept proposal everyone knows that.
Colin Barnett, talking about the James Price Point Gas Hub sorry, pollution tax.

Woodsides modules for their overdue Broome Social Impact Assessment were finally offered to the Community Assessment Committee for feedback before their version is released for public comment next year. But theres a catch! The members have to sign a confidentiality agreement before they see the material. They cant discuss it with us, whom they represent! It seems that the household survey done in July is particularly sensitive. Woodside says, The data were never intended to be published now, why would that be? Oh, Woodside, this is not a good look. What are you trying to hide?
If you like gasbag, please circulate far and wide. To subscribe, contact envrkimb2@westnet.com.au To donate now to help save the Nature of the Kimberley, go to www.environskimberley.org.au

WOODSIDE, WOODSIDE, WHAT DO YOU HIDE?

gasbag bulletin 12 NOVEMBER 2011

gasbag send it on!

*We love our photographers. Ed.