Antinuclear

Safety questions not answered in WA gas deal

Kimberley gas safety deal sought, FLIP PRIOR, The West Australian, April 29, 2011,  Woodside has refused to offer guarantees to traditional owners on what it would do in the event of an industrial disaster off the Kimberley coast from a gas precinct at James Price Point, former Kimberley Land Council executive director Wayne Bergmann says.

Negotiations over the project end today and it is understood Mr Bergmann, traditional owners, Woodside boss Don Voelte and Premier Colin Barnett will be locked in a final meeting in Perth to resolve outstanding issues.

After days of talks, the group is on the verge of finalising Australia’s biggest Aboriginal land use agreement in exchange for handing over land for the project, 60km north of Broome……..But Mr Bergmann warned it was not a done deal, saying Woodside was refusing to budge on environmental aspects on which he was unwilling to concede.

He described the last minute negotiations as a “David and Goliath battle”.

“There are things in the agreement that are going to be life changing but there are some fundamental commitments that still haven’t been made.

“I am asking that there are relevant or sufficient plans or undertakings in place for people to rest assured that if there is a disaster or accident that we don’t end up with … a Gulf of Mexico scenario.”

Mr Bergmann said Goolarabooloo and Jabirr Jabirr family members would be briefed on the agreement in Broome next week. It will then go to a formal vote next Friday.

He said the State Government’s compulsory acquisition moves had “infuriated people”…….http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/breaking/9275496/kimberley-gas-safety-deal-sought/

May 3, 2011 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | General News