There are 2 very important issues to get involved in - encouraging politicians to improve the EPBC act and persuading them to save Scott Reef
Taking action
There are 2 campaigns you can get involved in now.
1. contact your MP (Lisa Chesters) or a Senator about the NW Shelf. Greenpeace is running a campaign from 29th Sept – “Save Scott Reef”. The ACF and many other national environmental groups are involved in this too. The plan is to persuade as many federal Labor MPs and Senators to put pressure on Albo and Murray Watts to reverse their decision. Scott Reef is important because Woodside will not have enough gas after 2030 and it will need to find gas from other places. Scott Reef, off the WA coast has the single largest conventional gas reserve under it. There are 57 gas wells under it. It is also the most pristine reef, largely unaffected by bleaching and warming because it is situated so far off the coastline. There are 1000s of turtles and hundreds of pygmy blue whales that cross that area.
2. Contact your MP about the EPBC. Albanese wants to enact a new EPBC act (Environmental Protection of Biodiversity Conservation Act) by the end of the year. This means that because of the last sitting days, this will take place in October or November. This means campaigners have little time to put pressure on politicians to properly regulate the agricultural sector (especially with beef production) and to close loopholes to properly stop deforestation. This act sets out the rules and regulations to protect our environment and once this law is in place, it will be used for many years. That’s why people are calling it a “once in a lifetime” chance to get it right.