CCWA April Newsletter
| From the President I am writing this report on Earth Day and reflect on the efforts across the globe to protect our shared planet from ongoing environmental destruction and pollution. Now more than ever, we need a strong and united CCWA working collaboratively to defend nature. Amidst a protracted dry spell that is taking its toll on our south-west forests, CCWA over the last month continues its work to protect our natural environment. There have been significant challenges with regards to EPA and EPBC reforms and an increasingly prominent narrative from the government about clearing the way for mining and gas expansion in the state. With our partners we will work to challenge this and continue our representation to the government that our concerns are acknowledged and acted upon. We are very pleased to have Jess Beckerling commence her role as Executive Director. Jess brings a wealth of experience and relationships to the role as past director of the WA Forest Alliance. Her quiet and steadfast presence has already made a difference in the office. We are now recruiting for a Campaign Director to support her. The Board (Executive Committee) continues to work on our governance structures and culture. We are keen also to have more financial stability for the organisation. It has been a very challenging period this last month with a lot of activity and I thank the staff for their commitment. Dr Richard Yin President Woodside AGM Highlight In a powerful demonstration of environmental advocacy, CCWA, the Australian Conservation Foundation, Greenpeace Australia Pacific, Drummers for Climate Action and many more climate and nature groups protested at Crown Perth at Woodside’s 2024 Annual General Meeting (AGM). The event saw passionate climate advocates uniting to challenge Woodside’s ongoing gas expansion activities. Woodside’s relentless pursuit of gas extraction threatens biodiversity, notably its plans to drill in the marine ecosystem of Scott Reef. The protest held Woodside and shareholders accountable for the fossil fuel giant’s actions and highlighted the urgent need for a shift away from fossil fuels towards renewable energy solutions. Following the protest, the AGM began, where greenwashed answers from Woodside’s board led to activists breaking into song to demonstrate their frustrations, making headlines on 9news, ABC and more! Thank you to all who participated in this vital call for action on protecting nature and climate!   CCWA Executive Director, Jess Beckerling attended the rally and commented to the press: “The WA community will not stand for the destruction of Scott Reef to make way for Woodside’s gas plans and mega profits – the impacts on green turtles, pygmy blue whales and the climate would be catastrophic. The future is in renewables, not new gas.” Get involved The future of Scott Reef is in the hands of the Federal Environment Minister, Tanya Plibersek. She will decide this year whether Woodside’s Browse project will go ahead. Use our simple tool to email Minister Plibersek and your local MPs calling for them to reject Woodside’s plans. |
| Program updates |
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Fossil Fuels Beyond the Woodside AGM rally, activities ranged from regional collaboration to local action. Program Manager Anna Chapman presented at the “Asia Pacific Collaboration: Understanding Asia’s True Gas Demand,” on April 17. The event delved into Australia’s gas export narratives and the demand in Asia, to foster campaign collaboration across the region. At the local level, the Fossil Fuel and Better Climate Programs hosted a workshop on How to Meet Your MP, in collaboration with Greenpeace Australia Pacific, ACF Perth and Environs Kimberley. It was fantastic to see the passion and enthusiasm in the room as attendees learnt to meet their MPs and take climate action.  Photos: The attendees of the ‘How to Meet Your MP’ workshop were determined to take action and arrange a meeting with their MP. They were ready to make their voices heard and inspire positive change in their community.Go Beyond Gas welcomes a new action team, Go Beyond Gas Rockingham! Team leaders, Fiona, Chris and Kerry, jumped straight into action with leafleting, painting signs and protesting! If you’re in the Rockingham area and would like to join in on the fun, sign up here: Join an Action Team – Go Beyond Gas |
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| Better Climate This month, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s green policy shift heralded a new era, focusing on clean energy, education, and job security, backed by the National Skills Agreement and the Net Zero Economy Authority. Our stance is one of anticipation for detailed funding plans. We champion true support for green industries, vital for a strong economy and a positive legislative framework. We advocate moving from unproven technologies like CCS (Carbon capture and storage) to genuine green development, aligning with our vision for a sustainable future. As we finalise our “25 Solutions for a Better Climate” report, we call on community members and volunteers to provide feedback, ensuring our advocacy reflects our members’ needs. Contact us at [email protected] to provide your feedback. |
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Citizen Science We have been in the midst of report writing, and with that, we’re happy to share the citizen science progress report for July to December 2023 and January to March 2024. We are currently working on a report for the bat monitoring pilot and aim to have this ready before the next newsletter. In other news, our intern, Opal has been busy putting together some educational regional bat booklets. We now have bat booklets for Southwest Bats, Bats of the Wheatbelt, Bats of the Mid-west and Bats of the Nullarbor. We also published a bat appreciation flyer for Bat Appreciation Day, which was on 17th April 2024. Thank you to all our volunteers who help with our Citizen Science projects – the program wouldn’t survive without you!  |
National Volunteer Week National Volunteer Week is Australia’s largest annual celebration of volunteering, which provides an opportunity to highlight the important role of volunteers in our community and for those who aren’t involved to get involved. The theme of this year’s celebration is ‘Something for Everyone’, recognising the diverse passions and talents everyone brings to the act of volunteering. CCWA’s volunteers are integral to the work that we as an organisation undertake. These people work tirelessly to support our teams from caring for the dunes at their local beaches, to helping restore bushland and the overall protection of our state’s biodiverse ecosystems. We express our gratitude to all of CCWA’s volunteers, whose hard work enables us to continue to protect WA’s unique environments and biodiverse wildlife. Every contribution is appreciated, no matter how small, as they all contribute to something much larger than ourselves. Thank you for your enthusiasm, energy and valuable contributions. Volunteer with Us CCWA needs your help! CCWA is a strong advocate for environmental protection, conservation, and climate action and aims to spearhead actions as we fight for better environmental regulations and protection and combat climate change. We’re the voice for the environment in Western Australia and with your support we can continue to drive efforts together with other organisations to reach our vision of a flourishing natural environment and a safe climate valued by everyone. Donate today to join us in our mission to protect WA’s nature! Donate Write your Will today! There’s no doubt that CCWA supporters are deeply committed to preserving WA’s natural environment—many of our generous funders are eager to create a lasting impact that will protect our unique landscape for future generations. To support this, we’re excited to collaborate with Gathered Here, providing all our members and supporters with the opportunity to write your Will for free online. Crafting your Will is the most effective way to ensure your wishes are honoured and to leave behind a legacy you can be truly proud of. Write your Free Will Upcoming Events |
The Kwodjet Goorliny Symposium: Moving forward together to care for Country This symposium is showcasing the culmination of the Walking Together Project, exploring the latest developments in cross-cultural conservation and involves opportunities to be immersed in Country with Merningar/Menang/Goreng Elders and yarn up the next steps for cross-cultural collaboration to care for Country. With the growing need and demand for genuine cross-cultural conservation approaches, this symposium offers an amazing opportunity to come together to learn from one another and celebrate the good work being done in this space. WHEN: Tuesday – Thursday, May 14th – 16th WHERE: Centennial Park Function Centre, 156 Lockyer Avenue, Albany RSVP Save Our Scott Reef – Broome Launch Join us for a special community event in Broome to hear from nature and climate experts about the new campaign to save the pristine Scott Reef off the Kimberley coast from Woodside. 11 years ago, the WA community, led by Broome locals, took on Woodside and won. Scott Reef is teeming with unique biodiversity, including vulnerable green sea turtles and endangered pygmy blue whales. This natural wonder is now under threat from Woodside’s Burrup Hub mega-gas project. Speakers include: Dr. Ben Fitzpatrick, Marine Ecologist and NW Australian coral reef expert Bill Hare, IPCC report author and Climate Scientist Bart Pigram, Yawuru man, owner-operator of Narlijia Experiences and Culture and Heritage Consultant Anna Chapman, Fossil Fuels Program Manager at CCWA Geoff Bice, Senior Campaigner, Greenpeace Australia Pacific The event MC will be Martin Pritchard, Director of Strategy at Environs Kimberley Registrations are free but essential! WHEN: Thursday, May 16th, 5:30pm-7:30pm WHERE: Broome Lotteries House, 20 Cable Beach Road E, Broome RSVP  Climate Anxiety Open Mic Night The Go Beyond Gas Freo collective is hosting an open mic event to address eco-distress, offering a safe space for creative expression and reflection on climate-related emotions, featuring guest speaker Annolies Truman. Reserve your spot for this free event here. WHEN: Tuesday, June 4th, 7:00-10:00PM WHERE: The Local Hotel, 282 South Terrace, South Fremantle RSVP Nature First – CCWA Annual Conference, Community Conservation Awards and AGM Don’t forget to add CCWA’s biggest event to your calendar – more information to follow shortly!At CCWA’s Nature First Conference 2024 we will address the critical environmental challenges faced by Western Australia, focusing on climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution. Nature First serves as a platform to increase awareness, facilitate the exchange of knowledge and provide practical solutions for preventing more habitat loss and restoring and regenerating nature in WA. WHEN: Wednesday and Thursday, November 13th & 14th WHERE: The Wetlands Centre Cockburn, 184 Hope Road, Bibra Lake |
| CCWA regulatory submissions for April CCWA lodges submissions to regulatory bodies on projects of public interest that involve activities that pose significant risks to the environment. Some of the submissions and consultations from April include: Call for the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) to assess the following at a Public Environmental Review level: Energy Resources Ltd – Lockyer Conventional Gas Project (New referral to the EPA). Chalice Mining Ltd – Gonneville Nickel-Copper Group Element Project (New referral to the EPA). Appeal of decision by the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER) – against the licence conditions for the Perdaman Urea L9426/2024/1. Submission to DWER – Myalup Limestone Quarry Licence renewal. Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act – request for referral of: The Tredrea Workers Accommodation Village (Harvey). The Port of Broome – Mineral Sands proposal. EPBC Act – MKSEA industrial development – highlighting the impacts to the Greater Brixton Street Wetlands. Meetings with: The Appeals Convenor to discuss CCWA’s submission for the Great Southern Landfill, York. The Appeals Convenor to discuss CCWA’s appeal of DWER’s works approval for the Port of Broome – Mineral Sands proposal. AUKUS Senate Committee to give testimony on the environmental impacts of the proposed Australian Naval Nuclear Power Safety Bill 2023. DWER to discuss the new native vegetation policy. News & Media |
| CCWA supports EPA recommendation that area bordering Brixton Street Wetlands should be protected Fragmented nature laws a ‘major disappointment’: Conservation Councils Federal Court judgement allowing the pursuit of environment groups ‘anti-democratic’ – Peak Environment Groups |
| CCWA respectfully acknowledges the Whadjuk People of the Noongar nation, along with the Traditional Owners of all Countries where it works. We pay our respects to Elders past and present. CCWA seeks to always walk alongside our Aboriginal partners, recognising their continued connection through land, sea, culture and community. |