ABC News, 12 March 2019:Plans to drill in the middle of the Great Australian Bight have led to a fierce battle, as a Norwegian Energy giant faces off with Aussie surfers, environmentalists and fishermen. #TheProjectTV pic.twitter.com/2ppO02m0or— The Project (@theprojecttv) April 8, 2019
A Norwegian MP has
called for a state-owned Norwegian oil and gas company not to start drilling in
the Great Australian Bight, while a scientist says noise from the project could
hurt marine life.
The Norwegian Government
has a 67 per cent majority stake in Equinor, which wants to start searching for oil off the coast of South
Australia at a depth of almost 2.5 kilometres by the end of 2020.
It needs approval from
the National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority.
MP Kristoffer Robin Haug
addressed the Norwegian Parliament last week and said going ahead with the
project could see Norway become the enemy.
"Will the
[Petroleum and Energy] Minister use this power as a majority shareholder in
Equinor to instruct their company to stop their oil exploration in the
Bight?" he asked.
Fight For The
Bight, April
2019:
New
research from The Australia Institute shows that 60% of Australians are
opposed to drilling for oil in the Great Australian Bight, while the rate of
opposition amongst South Australians is even higher at 68%.
The first ever national
poll on the issue found that only one in five Australians, and 16% of South
Australians, support drilling in the Bight, while more than two thirds of
Australians want to see the area given World Heritage protection.
The poll also found
there is greater support, both nationwide and in SA, for ending coal, gas and
oil exploration across Australia than there is for allowing it to continue.
“The Great Australian
Bight is a national treasure and now we know that people across the country
want to see it protected from exploitation,” said Noah Schultz-Byard, The
Australia Institute’s SA projects manager.
“Equinor and the other
oil giants looking to drill in the Great Australian Bight are attempting to do
so in direct opposition to the wishes of the Australian people.
“We’ve known for some
time that the Great Australian Bight holds a special place in the hearts of
South Australians, but this research has shown that opposition to exploiting
the Bight exists across the country.
The Norwegian Greens
Party has also adopted the Australian Greens slogan "Fight for the
Bight".
South Australian Greens
senator Sarah Hanson-Young said Mr Haug's speech showed the fight was now
receiving international attention.
"This is starting
to cause problems and waves overseas," Senator Hanson-Young said.
"People are questioning why Australia would put
at risk our beautiful pristine areas.
"This is a whale
sanctuary. This is an untouched wonderland. Why would we put this at
risk?"….
Protesters took to
Encounter Bay this morning to protest against oil drilling in the Great
Australian Bight.
