Activists chanted in time with a thumping drum “Burrup Hub – we’ve gotta disrupt!” and roared back at the morning commuters expressing solidarity from their seats.
Members of various environmental and climate action organisations shared warm smiles and carefully crafted posters with each other, as others filed into work at one of WA’s leading, globally recognised, liquified natural gas companies.
Representatives and supporters of the UWA Guild’s Environmental Department began to lead an organised protest in partnership with the Conservation Council of Western Australia (CCWA), and some of their associate groups.
Senior Campaign Officer in Fossil Fuels for CCWA, Greta Carroll took to a megaphone to speak to the responsive, intergenerational crowd of protestors gathered in front of her.
She shared information in the form of fact and concern regarding the protest’s main topic, the provisional approval of Woodside’s North West Shelf Gas Project Extension.
Go Beyond Gas (GBG) alleges that Woodside’s North West Shelf Project (in operation since the 1980’s), is one of the most polluting gas plants in Australia.
If Woodside accepts the conditional proposal, the eExtension grants the North West Shelf component of Burrup Hub to operate until 2070, despite WA’s commitment to be net-zero by 2050.
GBG alleges the proposed project is the most polluting fossil fuel project in the Southern Hemisphere, which will create 6.1 billion tonnes of carbon pollution and will lead to severe climate disasters.
“It threatens the health of communities and the survival of our precious marine life and ecosystems,” they state on their website.
CCWA have alleged Woodside is “engaged in closed-door negotiations with the federal government.”
“If everything is above board and there’s nothing dodgy going on, and it’s all clean, then the government should make it [a] clear and transparent process,” said Ms Carroll.
“I think that their [the government’s] move… just flies in the face of everyone that believed that they were standing up for a future, a safe space for all species. I think we’re seeing approvals [and] processes geared towards industry.”
GBG understands that this approval raises a higher concern that Woodside’s Browse Gas proposal will also go ahead, which will allegedly destroy the state’s Scott Reef.
Head of Department of the UWA Guild’s Environmental Department, Julia Suffell, and student representative, Sophie Burrows, each took a turn to address the crowd.
Ms Burrows questioned the lack of open submissions and opportunities to write to the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) as a member of the public about such issues.
“I think people power is so important… action is the antidote to hopelessness,” she said.
“All of these groups are coming together because we have to. We have to build those relationships because we’re not going to get people power unless we work together and join forces.”
Ms Suffell took a moment to share the importance of having a Guild environmental department, as well as student representation at protests.
“Students should really be speaking up about their perspective. It’s our future at the end of the day,” she said.
“[It’s] being able to teach students how to be more sustainable. Everyone comes from different backgrounds and may not know as much – to pass on that information.”
As speeches wound down, the megaphone partnered with the committed drummer who,
led the eager group into chants once again.
Passionate voices filled the pavement between busy roads and the entrance to Woodside HQ as protestors sung and police watched on for the next part of the hour.
“No more coal, gas, or oil. Keep your carbon in the soil,” they shouted.
By the end of the hour, the crowd started to disperse just as quickly as they had come together.
But Greta Carroll said they will be back, and that the protest will be a recurring feature in the weeks to come.
“We just have to try – be here every Wednesday, and just keep doing what we can. Because if we don’t, then what? No one else is going to do it.”
