Over two months have elapsed since the expiry of the PEP-11 exploration Permit (February 12th, 2021) with the proponents free to pursue further development until a decision is made by Federal Minister for Resources, Water and Northern Australia, the Hon Keith Pitt MP.
Mr. Pitt is maintaining a deafening silence on the subject after stating on February 5th, 2021, ‘’I am waiting on Mr Barilaro's advice as the other joint decision maker. And once again, we will work our way through this systematically and methodically and make decisions based on facts. Minister Barilaro is the joint decision making authority. He will put forward New South Wales view. Based on that advice, plus my own, and of course the world class regulator in NOPSEMA, we'll make a decision.’’
NSW Minister Barilaro stated on February 17th, 2021 he had written to Mr. Pitt stating his position was not to renew the licence. However, Mr. Barilaro did close his statement passing the buck back to the federal minister, reminding all that the licence had first been issued by the federal level and the final decision rests with them, not him, so no fire may fall on the state government’s head when the federal government does as it has indicated it will.
Given Mr. Pitt was asked on that same date, February 4th, how drilling for gas fits in with net-zero emissions, and started deflecting with refrains about the also less popular by the day Angus Taylor and how ‘gas will be an important part of our recovery’ it’s fairly obvious by now there is absolutely no intention of doing anything other than 'business as usual'.
Lack of willpower, lack of representation of those who voted them in, lack of integrity and lack of intelligence to this degree would be a comedy if it wasn’t already a tragedy unfolding and manifesting all around us, through everything, right here and now.
The ABC 4 Corners program of this past week ‘Fired Up’ shines an indelible light on the federal government’s ‘gas fired recovery’ spiels and who was appointed to finesse this agenda for themselves. Visions of pigs lined up at a trough abound, except that would be discourteous to the real species this has been derived from – they are much cleaner, much purer of heart.
Unfortunately it’s one load of balderdash too much for residents and as the proponents keep making announcements of advancing their plans for drilling and installing a well – the latest released this week, the deafening silence begins to take on another inferred tone.
The Australian public has grown weary of the millions being ignored to further the greed of a handful and are meeting the slyness deduced in the months long silence and it’s morally illegal licence to complicity keep advancing such schemes, along with Mr. Pitt’s invisibleness, with being quite visible, completely apparent and nosily upfront.
On Saturday April 17th, while the Narrabeen Classic was being surfed in pristine waves two beaches south, locals gathered at the Mona Vale Basin to reiterate their opposition to any renewal for the PEP-11 license.
This was a #stopPEP11 paddle-out, one of three that are being rolled out in coming weeks, and saw a healthy turn out (at relatively short notice), including Surfing Australia Chair Layne Beachley AO, Tom Carroll, Oli and Louis Leimbach from Lime Cordiale, MP for Pittwater, the Hon. Rob Stokes, Pru Wawn and Jack McCoy along with local surfers and grommets, all there to show their opposition to mining for gas off our Sydney beaches.
Terrigal will host a paddle-out on March 24th and Newcastle takes its turn on May 1st.
The paddle-out is, traditionally, an ocean-based ceremony consisting of a mix of spiritual, metaphysical, and ritual actions that acknowledge, remember, and celebrate a fallen peer. It's a symbolic rite of passage that showcases traces of connection and separation, departure, and continuity.
It's a ceremony of mourning - a final farewell, a funeral.
At the Mona Vale Stop PEP-11 paddle-out Layne Beachley said, ‘’It’s just an absurd decision to consider drilling for oil and gas off one of the most populated pristine coastlines in the world.’’
‘’It beggars belief that there is even a consideration of renewing this (licence) when we know this form of mining is now archaic. We need to start heading towards renewable energy, and, in the event that something goes wrong, it will be catastrophic.
Let’s get rid of this and embrace renewable energies so we can transform the world we live in.’’
Brendan Donohoe, President of Surfrider Foundation Northern Beaches and Layne Beachley AO at Mona Vale Basin on Saturday
Oli Leimbach said ‘’We grew up on these beautiful pristine beaches and you don’t realise how beautiful these waters are until you’ve travelled the world and then come home.
We go to California quite a lot and when we went down to the beach there we were surprised as although you have this vision of the Californian beaches being beautiful, which they are, you can see oil rigs out on the horizon. It’s a massive eyesore.
Earlier Layne Beachley was talking about walking along Huntington beach and finding oil on her feet.’’
PEP 11 refers to Petroleum Exploration Permit 11, which is the 4576 square kilometre offshore oil and gas lease between Newcastle and Manly. The area is also often referred to as the Sydney Basin.
ADVENT Energy* the fossil fuel prospecting company, has lodged an application with NOPTA (National Offshore Petroleum Titles Administrator) to drill for gas in the PEP11 Baleen Prospect Zone which is 30km SE Newcastle. They have also asked for a two year extension of their lease which was due to expire on the 12th of February, 2021.
The Surfrider Foundation local chapters stated ''The communities who live, work and visit this iconic stretch of coastline will never accept a gas field off Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, the Central Coast and the Northern Beaches. Gas drilling poses an unacceptable risk to our ocean habitat, marine wildlife including migrating whales, tourism, fishing grounds and our local recreational amenity.
''Since 2019 Surfrider Foundation Australia, Save Our Coast and Living Ocean have been staging activations to create awareness about this obscene, crazy mining project. Movie nights, local meetings and paddle outs were gaining momentum until COVID19 came along. We switched tactics and rolled out a successful #stoppep11 social media campaign that coincided with massive petitions both on line and hand written, as well as emails to and meetings with local MPs. The intense lobbying culminated in a trip to Canberra, a press conference, and as a result all the local coastal councils, the NSW Government, the Federal Labor Party and all coastal Independent MP’s have opposed the PEP11 project. The high risk environmental impacts, the negative economic impacts on recreational and commercial fishing, as well as the detrimental effects on local tourism industries deem the project unacceptable.
However, the decision to approve PEP 11 rests with the Federal Resources minister Keith Pitt. He has refused to meet with us directly and continues to publicly spruik the governments “gas led COVID recovery” and the need for new east coast gas projects. So we will keep protesting until this offshore gas/oil mine in our back yard is off the table for good.
Surfrider Foundation Australia is opposed to offshore gas and oil drilling in the Sydney Basin. Our local oceans, waves and beaches are vital recreational, economic and ecological treasures that will be polluted and harmed as a result of this proposed industrialisation of our coastline.''
The Foundation lists the following facts and community objections to PEP-11:
ENVIRONMENTAL:
- There are numerous hazards involved in drilling through the offshore porous sandstone shelf, including chemical sludge and water pollution, possible oil spills and methane gas escaping. Despite safeguards, accidents happen. (Montaro, NW Australia 2009)
- Oil spills can be deadly.
- Should an incident occur and oil was to spread in NSW coastal waters, it is currently unlikely that the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, The Newcastle Port Authority and the Sydney Ports Corporation would be able to respond in an effective manner.
- Drilling disrupts marine life.
- Rigs, pipes, lights, and increased noise disrupt marine habitats, migrations and fishing.
ECONOMY
- Oil spills and water pollution are costly. Billions of dollars would be lost in tourism and fishing, not to mention diminishing the overall worth of our local coastal environment. The coastline between Newcastle and Sydney is Australia’s most valuable. (Deloitte Access Economics)
- Oil and gas developments ruin seascapes and diminish tourism.
- Air and water pollution hurt local communities.
- PEP11 is potentially a costly stranded asset. Drilling for offshore gas in the current economic climate is high risk with low reward. (Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis)
CLIMATE CHANGE
- Gas is a fossil fuel and not a renewable resource. Fugitive emissions (methane) from gas wells and pipelines, including whilst drilling, contribute to greenhouse gas pollution. Offshore gas mining is inconsistent with lowering Australian greenhouse gas emissions.
The organisers of the Stop PEP-11 paddle out were Surfrider Foundation Northern Beaches, Surfrider Foundation Australia, Surfrider Foundation Manly, Save Our Coast / Stop Seismic Testing and Living Ocean
Save Our Coast has been opposing PEP11 for over three years. The organisation has collected over 78,000 signatures on petitions calling for its cancellation.
Founder, Dr Natasha Deen, said the group hoped the Prime Minister would ensure Pitt “heeds the clear wishes of the community” and denies extension of the licence.
Rowan Hanley, volunteer member of Surfrider Foundation Northern Beaches and MP for Pittwater Rob Stokes at the Stop PEP-11 paddle-out
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Images and vision: Tim Seaton, Kyle Jenkinson, Jeremy Richardson, Sally Higson
Edit of facts and community concerns: Surfrider Foundation Northern Beaches, Surfrider Foundation Australia, Surfrider Foundation Manly, Save Our Coast / Stop Seismic Testing and Living Ocean
Report: A J Guesdon
*ADVENT Energy is an unlisted oil and gas prospecting company based in Perth. Its parent company is MEC Resources. The exploration company is a subsidiary called ASSET PTY LTD (ASSET). ASSET owns 85% of the licence and Bounty Oil and Gas (BPH) own 15%.
