Big oil in the Bight too risky

Posted May 21, 2018

Candidate for Mayo Rebekha Sharkie was among the thousands of people who attended Hands Across the Sand events across Australia on Saturday to protest offshore oil and gas exploration in the Great Australian Bight.

By standing on the beach and linking hands, participants created a symbolic barrier along the shore to call on Norwegian oil company Statoil to drop its plans for drilling in the region.

Other events were held at Port Willunga, Semaphore, Elliston, Penong, Ceduna and Port Lincoln and protests were also organised in WA, Victoria, Tasmania and NSW.

“Big oil in the Bight is just too risky,” Rebekha said this week.

“Even though we are told the likelihood of an oil spill is low, the proposed deep-water drilling methods are largely untested and the outcome of any spill would be catastrophic for our communities.

“Our environment is not replaceable. Local tourism and livelihoods also depend upon our environment, coasts and oceans being attractive and productive.”

As the former Federal Member for Mayo Rebekha and her Centre Alliance colleagues in the Senate secured anti-drilling exclusion zones for the Southern and Western Commonwealth Marine Parks, ensured big oil was aware of community opinion on drilling in the Bight and negotiated greater protections for Commonwealth Marine Parks.