Protestors keep paddling against Equinor plan

SATURDAY saw hundreds of protestors again gather at Cosy Corner to show their opposition to Equinor’s planned oil drilling in the Great Australian Bight.

The “Paddle Out for the Bight” protest was one of more than 56 protests that took place around Australia as part of the Fight for the Bight National Day of Action. Others included protests at Bondi Beach and on the Gold Coast.

People in Torquay showed their opposition to the company’s proposal by gathering at the beach to hear some speeches, with many then taking to the water on surf boards, stand-up paddleboards and other watercraft.

Saturday’s event was the latest in a series of protest paddle outs held at Cosy Corner, including a paddle-out with as many as 2,500 people in the water and another 1,500 on the beach on April 20.

On November 8, the National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority (NOPSEMA), the statutory agency overseeing the process, asked Equinor to resubmit their environmental plan. Equinor’s plan is due tomorrow (Friday, November 29).