KING Islanders are again mobilising to oppose oil and gas exploration in Bass Strait. Oil and gas giant ConocoPhillips has started community consultation to inform their preparation of an Environment Plan to undertake an exploration and drilling program in the Otway Basin off the coast of Victoria and King Island.
The Wilderness Society, Tasmania and Surfrider Tasmania have accused ConocoPhillips of not respecting the King Island community and residents’ rights. Wilderness Society Tasmania campaign manager Tom Allen and Ally King from Surfrider Tasmania have hit out at the company.
“Will ConocoPhillips and the Albanese Government respect or ignore residents’ Community Rights?”
In a statement they questioned whether the company would conduct meaningful consultation with the community.
“The fact that seismic testing went ahead despite the community’s clear opposition—and now ConocoPhillips plans to roll out the rigs – shows that community views are yet to make any difference to its plans.
“This shows a lack of integrity and an absence of genuine consultation. “Communities deserve the right to be meaningfully consulted about decisions that affect their local environment. This is an integrity issue,” Mr Allen said.
In 2021, the Wilderness Society commissioned independent polling company EMRS to conduct an island-wide survey on the seismic blasting proposed by ConocoPhillips.
“The 2021 survey results showed that 77 per cent of King Island residents said they weren’t genuinely consulted by ConocoPhillips’ previous consultation and 94 per cent were opposed to fossil fuel exploration.
“It’s Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek’s job to ensure that new Community Rights reforms to the national environment laws deliver on these fronts so that there are better outcomes for nature and for people.
“King Island is a case study of the need for strong Community Rights,” Mr Allen said. “We are looking at a significant push for gas and oil exploration off Tasmania’s North West Coast and throughout Bass Strait,” Ms King said.
“Multiple corporations are currently moving to exploit the marine environment around Tasmania. These projects are approved based on ‘acceptable risk’, yet the science to establish the risks to our marine environment has not been conducted and there is no ‘acceptable risk’ for more fossil fuels.”
ConocoPhillips Australia exploration manager Aaron Burt said in a statement last week, that in 2023 the company would continue to explore for gas in this area.
“This work is regulated by the offshore regulator, National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority (NOPSEMA), who requires a comprehensive Environmental Plan to be submitted by ConocoPhillips Australia before any work can commence.
“The program which would be spread across 2024 -2028, consists of seabed surveys and the drilling of two initial wells late 2024/2025 and depending on success, the option of drilling a further four wells, up to a maximum of six exploration wells north of King Island and in the eastern offshore Otway Basin, 30 km west of King Island in an area of 4,960 km² in water depths of less than 100m.
“Any decision to proceed to development will be dependent on a conducive investment environment, is subject to EP acceptance and rig availability. The initial activity will be seabed assessments which will commence no earlier than January 2024.”
ConocoPhillips Australia has said it is proposing to use various consultation methods and communication tools to identify and provide sufficient information for relevant persons to make an informed assessment of the possible consequences of the activity on them.
In April and May, ConocoPhillips will share their predictions, environmental impact and risk assessment, evaluations and proposed mitigations. The draft Environment Plan will be available in June for comment and the ability to raise additional concerns and feedback to be considered before submission to NOPSEMA.
Community rights provide a legal framework for communities to protect and preserve their local environments and resources, and to ensure that decisions about those resources are made in a way that benefits the community as a whole.
It can take many forms, such as the right to clean air and water, the right to participate in decision-making processes that affect their communities, and the right to regulate corporate activities that may impact the environment.
To be included in the consultation process, requests for a meeting, to ask questions, to raise objections or claims, provide feedback and request additional information about the proposed drilling activities contact ConocoPhillips Australia.
E: otway@conocophillips.com. Phone 07 3182 7122 Mail PO Box 1243, Milton, Qld, 4064.
Go to conocophillips.com.au
ConocoPhillips Australia Otway Exploration Drilling Program consultation hub for more information.