2021 Jan 28th - Labor retreats from ambitious carbon targets

Federal Labor leader Anthony Albanese will drop climate spokesman Mark Butler from the key portfolio in a shake-up that aims to bridge a gulf within the party on gas fields, coal mines and greenhouse emissions. Mr Butler, one of the party’s strongest advocates for ambitious carbon targets, will lose the portfolio of climate change and energy after months of dispute over whether Labor should make a new pledge to cut emissions by 2030 or 2035.

Mr Albanese is expected to announce the reshuffle within days to transfer health spokesman Chris Bowen into the climate portfolio.

Mr Bowen, the party’s treasury spokesman at the last election, is said to be keen to take on climate and energy.

Labor insiders dismissed talk of Mr Albanese’s leadership being in question in the reshuffle, pointing to support for him in the left faction, the NSW right and the Victorian right.

Mr Butler takes on health and ageing at a key point in the pandemic, with the government facing questions over its vaccine rollout and its aged care policies ahead of the final report from the royal commission into the sector.

Senior figures portrayed Mr Butler’s new position as a central portfolio given the pandemic and given his experience as aged care minister in the Gillard government.

The change from Mr Butler to Mr Bowen will mark a shift in ownership of the climate portfolio from the left faction to the right of the party after a stand-off last year when the resources spokesman at the time, Joel Fitzgibbon, argued against setting an interim target for 2030 or 2035.

While Mr Albanese has pledged to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 under a Labor government, some caucus members believe there is no need to set an interim goal that could make the party a bigger target at the next federal election.

Labor’s pledge at the last election, to reduce emissions by 45 per cent by 2030 compared to the Morrison government’s target of 26 to 28 per cent, remains in limbo until a decision is made on whether to recommit to it or update it for 2035.

Mr Fitzgibbon, who stood down from the resources portfolio after his clashes with Mr Butler at the end of last year, welcomed the news about the reshuffle but signalled he wanted a change on policy as well.

“Obviously I welcome the change,” he said.

“We have to send a clear signal to our traditional base that we are back, and this is a good start.

“But changing the jockey will not be enough in the absence of a shift in policy emphasis, calibration and language.”

Mr Albanese backed Mr Butler last November when some caucus members wanted him moved after the disputes with Mr Fitzgibbon.

“Yes, Mark Butler will remain as our climate change and energy spokesperson. Mark Butler is doing a fantastic job in that role,” Mr Albanese told reporters on November 13.

Mr Butler declared last year the party should go to the next election with an interim target to show how a Labor government would deliver net-zero emissions over the longer-term.

“You can’t set a mid-century target and then check in 2049 whether you’re on track to meet it. No one thinks that,” Mr Butler said in September.

Mr Fitzgibbon rejected that argument and the interim target remains to be decided.

2021 - Jan 14th: WA Government greenlights fracking exploration in Kimberley

 https://nit.com.au/wa-government-greenlights-fracking-exploration-in-kimberley/?fbclid=IwAR3EYiiwtG0b0KHpFK_C6pMkyDFlHTTBnmfrFVE6KqLV5CNKHWmcj-yw6Mw

Buru Energy and Origin Energy have partnered for drilling exploration and possible fracking in the Canning Basin of Western Australia’s Kimberley region despite protest from community.

The Canning Basin, known for its rich rock layers and geological formations, is significant to Aboriginal people and estimated to be between 70 million and 500 million-years-old.

These exploration regions are not subject to Western Australia’s fracking bans as the exploration licences were granted by the State’s Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety.

It’s understood some of the proposed exploration sites overlap with the Roebuck Bay Ramsar Wetland catchment, the national heritage listed Fitzroy River, Karajarri Indigenous Protected Area, Yawuru Indigenous Protected Area and the proposed Edgar Ranges National Park.

“Origin’s partner in the Canning Basin, Buru Energy, has a good track record exploring and operating in the Kimberley and working with Traditional Owners. Buru Energy will continue to be the operator in the partnership with Origin,” an Origin spokesperson told NIT.

While Buru Energy declined to comment, an ASX announcement by the company said they plan to “significantly advance exploration” by means of 2D or 3D seismic and large-scale drilling prospects.

Executive Director of Environs Kimberley, Martin Pritchard, said seismic programs significantly scar the landscape and wildlife habitats.

“Seismic programs involve bulldozing land in grids and are extremely damaging, creating corridors for introduced predators like cats and foxes that kill native endangered animals like bilbies,” Pritchard said.

Naomi Pigram, a Yawuru and Wadjarri person and the Greens candidate for Kimberley in the upcoming Western Australian election, spoke to the devastating consequences this partnership posed.

“Kimberley people have come together on several occasions to protest against fracking in the Kimberley and it is becoming abundantly clear that either the State Government are hard of hearing or just don’t care about the people of the Kimberley,” she said.

“For me, it sends a message to the Kimberley people, that our lives and health, and that of our future generations, don’t matter.”

Despite this, Origin was confident in Buru Energy’s current arrangements.

“Origin respects Buru Energy’s track record in working with Traditional Owners and the agency of Kimberley Native Title holders, with access to independent advice and legal representation, to negotiate — not stop fracking.

While it remains the right of Traditional Owners to decide on these types of permits; they are faced with a delicate balancing act.

They can either opt for an agreement which can help improve their communities’ social outcomes or continue their opposition to mining and risk eventually being forced into a situation of dependence.

Regarding the renewal of exploration permits, Executive Director Resource Tenure, Tony Bullen, of WA’s Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety told NIT while Buru Energy must apply under the Petroleum and Geothermal Energy Resources Act 1967 (WA) to renew an exploration permit, the regulations and requirements for environmental plans under the Petroleum and Geothermal Energy Resources (Environment) Regulations 2012 (WA) are “not linked directly to the renewal process” in the Act.

“If an exploration permit is eligible for renewal, it can be renewed for a period of five years,” Bullen said.

It’s understood permit renewals can be granted by the Department without an accompanying environmental plan.

Researchers from Murdoch University recently found shale gas could not be a viable energy source for sustainable development unless there was “stringent regulation and compliance on the upstream resource development”.

The effects of not doing so were detailed in an independent scientific inquiry into fracking in Western Australia in 2017. It found there would be immediate negative impacts to Aboriginal heritage, land, air and water viability.

“If the government of the day has any genuine regard for the Traditional Owners of the Kimberley, then they would understand that the Kimberley as a whole is connected and destroying one part of the Country will most certainly impact the other,” Pigram said.