Dear NRPG members and interested,

The Environmental Defenders Office does some amazing work on issues all over Australia, with extremely limited resources – so this is great news and you may like to support their work.

Kind regards,

Steve Gates

President, NRPG Bushcarers

Subject: BREAKING: Woodside’s seismic blasting stopped for today!

Woodside Energy planned to start seismic blasting in waters off the Western Australia coast to map gas under the seabed for its Scarborough Gas Project. But this morning, our client Mardudhunera woman Raelene Cooper filed an urgent injunction to stop the testing going ahead. Thanks to our client’s swift action, Woodside have agreed to postpone the blasting until a further hearing tomorrow, Friday, 8 September.Together we have protected Western Australia’s whales and other marine life from devastating seismic blasting for another day. But it’s not over yet. We’ll be back in court tomorrow with our brave client, Traditional Custodian Raelene Cooper, to stand up for culture and marine life.Woodside’s Scarborough Gas Project is one of the most polluting fossil fuel projects currently planned in Australia. Woodside will use seismic blasting to map gas reserves under the seabed.  The impact of seismic blasting on marine life can be devastating. In marine mammals, the blasts — which measure up to 256 decibels and are one of the loudest human-made sounds — can damage the sensors that they use to hear and their ability to communicate through their electro-frequencies, and disrupt feeding and migration patterns. It can even cause death. Last month, on behalf of Ms Cooper, we filed a legal challenge in relation to Woodside Energy’s approval to conduct seismic blasting. Ms Cooper argues that the decision by the offshore regulator NOPSEMA to allow the blasting was unlawful and that she has not been properly consulted as required by law. The seismic activity’s impact on Songlines and species connected to them, such as whales, which are very culturally significant, is of deep concern. Raelene Cooper said: “These majestic and graceful marine mammals carry our Songlines from one part of Country to another, they and many water animals carry our Songlines and Dreaming stories, they are documented on our munda (our rocks), they are our Dreaming stories I hold. “The risks and the impacts of such destructive activities and the consequences of these actions will be life threatening for these species of marine life.” Tomorrow, we will stand up for whales and Songlines against seismic blasting in court.  Thank you for following this important case and for your support.  We can’t do it without you. I’ll be in touch again when I have an update on the case.Clare Lakewood Special Counsel, Environmental Defenders Office    Donate todaySupporters like you power our legal work for the environment EDO recognises the traditional owners and custodians of the land, seas and rivers of Australia. We pay our respects to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander elders past and present, and aspire to learn from traditional knowledge and customs so that, together, we can protect our environment and cultural heritage through law. © 2023 EDO. All rights reserved. ABN 72 002 880 864 Visit edo.org.au Change my email preferences Unsubscribe from all emails