Snap Rallies at Labor MP offices as yet more fossil fuel projects approved
Extinction Rebellion Australia, 2 July 2024
On Tuesday 25 June, Tanya Plibersek approved a Gina Rinehart-backed coal seam gas project in inland Queensland that will clear endangered koala habitat. Approving dirty gas in the middle of a climate crisis is madness!
In the following days, XR rebels joined other climate activists at snap rallies outside the offices of Labor politicians. (See above, snap rallies at the offices of MPs Peter Khalil, Bill Shorten, Tim Watts and Clare O'Neil).
The approval of Stage 3 of Senex’s Atlas project gives the green light to the construction of up to 151 coal seam gas wells, as well as access roads, associated pipelines and a 300 million litre CSG brine storage facility north west of the township of Miles.
Lock the Gate's media release points out that "The project is expected to require the drainage of about six and a half million litres of groundwater each day as the coal seams are depressurised. This depressurisation of coal seams across Queensland’s Western Downs is causing some of the country’s best farmland to sink.
The Atlas to Reedy Creek high pressure gas pipeline also received federal environmental approval earlier in the same month,
This project will clear 35 hectares of koala habitat, 30 hectares of greater glider habitat, 28 hectares of glossy black cockatoo habitat, and nearly five hectares of Dulacca woodland snail habitat.
These decisions are appalling at a time when international science and energy agencies say there can be no more exploitation of new oil, gas and coalfields if the world is to limit global heating to 1.5C.
“While Australia is distracted talking about the LNP nuclear charade, the federal government is approving new fossil fuel projects,” the Australia Institute’s research director, Rod Campbell, told The Guardian.
“We know that new fossil fuel projects are the last thing that the climate needs. The last thing that the Australian economy needs is to be doubling down on fossil fuels at a time when we should be leading the world on decarbonisation.”
Australia Institute research has found that 56% of gas exported from Australia attracts zero royalty payments, effectively giving a public resource to multinational gas corporations for free.
Around 80% of Australia’s gas is exported as liquefied natural gas (LNG). Most of this gas is extracted from Commonwealth waters, but the Australian Government chooses not to charge royalties on gas feeding six of the seven LNG export terminals operating in Western Australia and the Northern Territory.
Over the last four years, multinational companies made $149 billion exporting gas they got for free. If royalties had been charged on this gas, at least $13.3 billion in revenue could have been raised and used to increase living standards of Australians by funding schools, hospitals, renewable energy, and other needed public infrastructure.
The Australia Institute: Gas Facts
Labor's approval of yet more fossil fuel projects and the decision to dump their already overdue environmental law reform package are further proof of continued capitulation to polluters, the fossil fuel lobby and logging corporations.
The Albanese Labor Government promised to act meaningfully on climate, but time after time it chooses to side with coal and gas billionaires.
The Federal Minister for the Environment can block projects where they are demonstrated to be an environmental threat or risk. But the current legislated criteria, assessment guidelines and processes are clearly inadequate and need to be strengthened.
Resource and minerals developments are actually controlled and approved by the State Governments. So, as well as actions directed at Federal MPs, a spotlight must be shone on State Resource Ministers and those who are investing, financing and insuring these inappropriate fossil fuel developments.