Big paddle out protests gas exploration release

AN ESTIMATED 1,500 people gathered at Torquay Front Beach on Saturday to urge the reversal of a decision to open 2.5 million hectares of the Southern Ocean to new offshore gas exploration.

Participants at Surfrider Foundation Australia’s ‘Save the Southern Seas” paddled in unison in a show of solidarity to highlight the deep connection Australians have with the ocean and the need to protect these ecologically and culturally significant waters.

“This paddle out is a reminder that these waters are not just lines on a map,” Surfrider Foundation Australia national campaigns director, Drew McPherson, said.

“They are home to whale migration routes, part of the Great Southern Reef, and central to coastal life, tourism, and livelihoods.

“Communities have spoken, and we’re making sure decision-makers hear it loud and clear.”

Surfrider agues the federal government’s Otway Basin acreage release opened areas off Victoria and Tasmania that are critical to whale breeding and migration, support the Great Southern Reef, and contribute more than $11 billion annually to Australia’s economy.

The foundation is urging all Australians to make a submission before the public consultation closes today (Friday, February 6) and have launched a tool to help people send personalised letters.

“You don’t need hours of policy knowledge to defend the ocean you love,” McPherson said.

“Our new letter-writing tool ensures decision-makers hear directly from the people who will live with the consequences of these choices.”

For more information, head to surfrider.org.au