Posted by: Wade Freeman, November 18, 2013

It’s time Western Australia’s premier leaves his dream of industrialising the Kimberley behind.

WA premier, Colin Barnett would be well advised to take the advice of W.C. Fields, who once said, “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. Then quit. There’s no point in being a damn fool about it.”

If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. Then quit. There’s no point in being a damn fool about it

Premier Colin Barnett announced this week that the state government has compulsorily acquired the 3414 hectare site at James Price Point. It seems the premier is determined to further his dream to industrialise the Kimberley despite the odds stacked against him.

He is pushing ahead despite Woodside walking away from constructing the world’s largest LNG processing plant smack-bang in the middle of the pristine Kimberley coastline in favour of a less environmentally damaging offshore floating option.

Premier Barnett also promised $30 million (mostly earmarked for Indigenous housing) to the Traditional Owners of this country, with the funds to be held in a trust, while the Jabirr-Jabirr and Goolarabooloo Peoples claims are determined.

But make no mistake, this land grab cannot be said to have the agreement of Traditional Owners. It is compulsory acquisition, pure and simple.

But make no mistake, this land grab cannot be said to have the agreement of Traditional Owners. It is compulsory acquisition, pure and simple

Indigenous leader Mick Dodson has said, “I think compulsorily acquisition is, in a sense, another act of colonialism. It’s another theft of our land, it’s another invasion and it should never ever be contemplated at a political level.”

Here are four sound reasons why the dream of industrialising the Kimberley coastline should finally be left behind:

The original agreement was for a plant to process gas from the Browse Basin. Since Woodside has decided to process the Browse gas on a floating platform, there is no need for an onshore processing plant;
The strategic assessment agreement between the state and federal governments was based on Woodside wanting to process gas from the Browse Basin onshore – that is now null and void;
The WA supreme court has rejected all environmental approvals for the area due to conflict of interest under the state’s EPA;
None of the concerns about the damage an industrial site would do to endangered bilby colonies, threatened monsoon vine thickets, migratory whale calving grounds or the National Heritage listed dinosaur tracks have been addressed.
By pursuing a divisive land grab, with no talk of how the area will be protected, Premier Barnett is looking increasingly like the lone ranger of the Kimberley, unable to accept reality and forging on with a misguided course.

It looks like the government is determined to turn James Price Point into an industrial precinct to service the mass development of the National Heritage listed West Kimberley region.

Hundreds of exploration licences have already been issued for the Kimberley region. These include licences to explore for gas on the Dampier Peninsula, bauxite on the Mitchell Plateau, coal in the Canning Basin, and uranium, shale gas, iron ore, copper, lead and zinc elsewhere in the Kimberley.

While Woodside is currently rehabilitating the damage it has already done to James Price Point, the state government has moved to put it under threat once again.

So, Woodside Petroleum, the township of Broome and the whole nation have moved on. It’s time for the Premier and the state government to do the same

This piece was first published in the West Australian.