Review of offshore regulations begin as coastal communities continue to rally

APOLLO Bay residents turned out in force on Sunday to protest proposed seismic blasting in the Otway Basin.

The protest is part of a larger campaign, including three major rallies and 10 events along the Great Ocean Road, following a proposal by companies Schlumberger-SLB and TGS to seismic blast over 5.5 million hectares of ocean between Victoria and Tasmania.

 

 

Otway Coastal Environment Action Network (OCEAN) founder Lisa Deppeler said it was the biggest rally Apollo Bay had ever seen.

“The event at Apollo Bay was part of our bigger Great Ocean Rescue campaign that runs throughout January,” Ms. Deppeler said.

“A vast majority of Australians don’t know what seismic blasting is, nor the impacts it has on our marine life.

“This rally is to highlight it and raise awareness because we believe once Australians know about seismic blasting, there is no social license for it.

“People are generally pretty horrified once they know what it is.”

 

 

Australian Marine Conservation Society oil and gas campaign manager Louise Morris said offshore oil and gas exploration is dangerous even before a well is sunk.

“Marine life will be bombarded by 220-250 decibel explosions of sound – louder than a bomb blast – every 10-12 seconds for several months,” she said.

“Schlumberger-SLB and TGS’s proposal is the biggest seismic blasting operation ever proposed for Australia’s south-eastern waters.”

 

 

The federal government has announced plans to clarify and improve offshore petroleum and greenhouse gas storage regulations.

Corangamite federal member Libby Coker is urging the community to make a submission to the Federal Government’s consultation paper on how the offshore resources regulatory system could be further improved to minimise confusion and ambiguity.

“We are taking this step because we have heard from our local communities that there is room to clarify and improve our existing regulations,” Ms Coker said.

“Community members across the region have raised their concerns about the consultation process, and we know that recent court decisions have found the standard and quality of consultation varies between offshore resources projects.”

“This is not an acceptable outcome. Our oceans are precious, and we need to do everything we can to protect them and having clarification on consultation requirements for these projects is part of that.”

 

 

Ms Coker previously congratulated community members who attended other rallies.

“I am listening to you and will continue to raise your concerns with our Minister for Resources,” she said.

“We must ensure that TGS, Schlumberger and other companies properly consult with our community on these proposed seismic surveys.”

The consultation paper forms part of a wider review of Australia’s offshore resources environmental management framework.

This review aims to enhance Australia’s offshore environmental management regime.

It will focus on ensuring the regime’s suitability for a decarbonizing economy, its alignment with best practices in offshore environmental management, and its consistency with reforms to national environmental legislation.

These reforms are currently being developed by the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment, and Water as part of the Government’s Nature Positive Plan and seek to meet Australia’s international obligations regarding emissions reduction and sustainable development.

The next stop of the Great Ocean Rescue will occur this Sunday, 21 January, in Warrnambool. Speeches will start at 2 pm, followed closely by a Paddle Out.

Have your say on the consultation requirements for offshore oil and gas activities here, industry.gov.au/news/have-your-say-consultation-requirements-offshore-oil-and-gas-activities

Further details about the OCEAN community campaign: ocean.org.au/greatoceanrescue