Senate Submission: Oil Drilling and Fossil Fuels within the Great Australian Bight

Source: adelaidenow.com.au

By Rebecca Faulkner

Bsc (Hons), BA double major Environmental Studies and Biological Sciences

1

Dear Committee Members,

As a scientist and a resident of Southern Australia I am deeply concerned by the proposed plans by 5 oil companies to drill for oil in the pristine, untouched and biologically diverse Great Australian Bight and Southern Ocean just off the coast of South Australia. This region is home to many unique species of wildlife, unique geology (longest southern coastline on the planet), it’s culturally and economically significant for many local communities particularly the local indigenous communities, fishing and aquaculture industry and tourism.

Growing up along the coast in South Australia the beach and coastline has not only been a place of recreation (walking, swimming, snorkelling, boogie boarding) for me but also been a classroom. Here I have learnt about the nature systems including remnant dune systems, long shore drift, the loss of sea grass along the Adelaide coastline, intertidal reefs, mangrove ecosystems, benthic ecosystems and the impact of urban development on the natural world. I have travelled to the West Coast to the Eyre Peninsula and fallen in love with the towns and the natural environment from the coves to sheer sandstone cliffs to the stunning rolling huge sand dunes and the wildlife. The national parks and coastline provides an experience and an opportunity to observe what an untouched environment looks like. This industry, no matter what the safeguards are, poses a significant threat to this pristine area and its current economic contribution to the State of South Australia and the country as a whole.

The companies which currently hold leases and are proposing to drill in the Great Australian Bight are Stat Oil, Santos, Bight Petroleum, Chevron and BP (Figure 1). BP is currently the most advanced in the approvals process planning to drill later this year in the Summer 2016-2017. While other companies including Bight Petroleum already having completed their seismic testing and are waiting to see the results of BP approval. BP has the worst track record when it comes to spills and environmental disasters being responsible for the worst environmental disaster in USA history. The Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, USA (see section 1). I am deeply concerned that they will replicate their reckless approach to risk management and environmental protection in our waters.

Figure 1 – Oil Exploration Leases in SA Waters

2

Source: Austin 2015

Deepwater Horizon

In the tragic Deepwater Horizon blowout and spill in the Gulf of Mexico, 11 workers lost their lives. Oil poured into the sea for 84 days, releasing approximately 4.9 million barrels of oil. Crone and Tolstoy (2010) estimate that 804,8077 barrels or 127,963m3 of oil was collected on the seafloor. Marine life was devastated, local fisheries and the tourism industry were wrecked, and local communities were left desolate. Even though clean up occurred a large amount of oil that hit the shoreline remains ‘trapped in coastal ecosystems, especially benthic areas’ (Kostka et al 2011). The costs from the Gulf of Mexico Deepwater Horizon disaster continue to emerge. Recently scientists found a 10 million gallon bathmat of oil on the floor of the gulf. The coastal communities within the region have still not recovered and some likely never will. On 4th of September 2014 a US Federal Judge found BP guilty of being grossly negligent and guilty of wilful misconduct in regards to the Deepwater Horizon Disaster (Business and Human Rights Resource Centre 2015). In July 2015 BP settled a record lawsuit in the United States of $US18.7 Billion US$ with the United States Government and five state governments claims in regards to the Deepwater Horizon Disaster. The states sued for damages that weren’t covered in earlier payouts by BP. In total BP has had to pay more than $5 Billion US Dollars for breaching the Clean Water Act. BP is still paying out this money to the USA at the same time that they want to drill in our waters (Bradshaw and Agencies 2015). The Deepwater Horizon disaster has cost the Gulf regions tourism industry $23 Billion in loss revenue and over 12,000 people their employment. It likely harmed or killed (the real numbers will never be known) more than a million birds from 102 species, 6,165 sea turtles and up to 25,900 marine mammals (Wilderness Society 2015).

Oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico is, and was at the time of the disaster, an established industry and as such the equipment needed to address a spill was on hand at the time. Here in South Australia it’s an industry that currently doesn’t exist and as such there is no infrastructure available and on hand to address a spill if one were to occur. The necessary equipment would have to be brought in from across the globe from as far as the UK, Singapore and the United States.

Great Australian Bight the Carbon Bomb

The region has been described by those in the Fossil Fuel Industry as the largest unexplored and unopened fossil fuel basin on the planet “the last frontier” whilst environmental groups have called it a carbon bomb. Bight Petroleum has estimated their lease sites could contain 43.7 billion barrels of oil (Bight Petroleum n.d). This in a time the global scientific community is telling the world that all fossil fuels must stay in the ground and there must be no new fossil fuel basins opened on the planet. Scientists are already stating that 2016 is going to be the hottest year on record. It is now predicted that globally the planet will pass the 2C warming before 2050 not before 2100 as originally predicted. The global scientific community and the global community has stated that 2degrees is the tipping point for dangerous uncontrolled climate change. Around the globe and here in Australia we are can already see and feel the impacts of climate change caused by enhanced greenhouse effect. Just this week there have been reports that researchers from James Cook University have found that 95% of the Northern Great Barrier Reef has been bleached as a result of increasing oceanic temperatures. It has been classified at a level 3 bleaching event, which is the highest level. The scientists predict that half of the coral bleached will die within a week (McCutcheon 2015). In

3 addition Australia in recent years has been experiencing an increase in extreme weather events with climate change these are expected to increase along with a range of other environmental impacts (Figure 2).

Figure 2: The increase in impacts in recent decades now attributable to climate change (IPCC 2014)

Global leaders within and outside of the scientific community (David Suzuki and Leonardo DiCaprio) are calling for urgent action on greenhouse gas emissions, to transition from a global economy based on fossil fuels to one on renewable energies, Even the famous American Rockafeller family who

4 made their wealth in oil have realised that fossil fuels must stay in the ground and have divested announcing in Mach 2016 that they will no longer invest in the fossil fuel industry stating that there is clear evidence of climate change and that fossil fuel reserves (oil, tar sands and coal) must stay in the ground. They and the fund that they own have even come out publically and shamed ExonMobil (whose parent company they once owned and founded) for its impacts while attempting to exploit oil in the Arctic Ocean (n.d, 2016). Opening such a significant and new fossil fuel basin is irresponsible and goes against our international global commitments (Paris Climate Agreement) as a nation to prevent dangerous climate change.

My home state of South Australia is currently the driest state on the planet and we are already feeling the impacts of the Enhanced Greenhouse Effect. We have only recently come out of a decade long drought, now with permanent water restrictions and experiencing severe bushfires that devastated agricultural communities. In addition we are expected to have increased storm surges, sea level rise, a hotter and dryer climate, increased heat waves (number of days over 35 degrees centigrade), increases in heat related illness, reduced rainfall and impacts on agricultural productivity (Department of the Environment,n.d)

Australia has the best range of renewable resources on the planet. We have the potential to harness wind, solar, tidal and geothermal power. Beyond Zero Emissions Australia has identified that Australia has the ability to install large scale solar thermal plants that will provide baseload power (ref). South Australia has already begun to undertake this transition and leads the nation with half the nations wind capacity 1.5GW of installed energy and in 2014 for a day produced and was powered 100% renewable energy (Parkinson 2014).The South Australian State Government in 2009 had a target to produce 33% of the state’s energy from renewable energy by 2020 this was achieved in 2013. In 2014 the target increased to 50% of renewables by 2020 with 40% of the state’s electricity coming from renewables in 2014 and this year 2016 it is expected to surpass 50%. Last year Professor Disendorf stated that South Australia could easily become powered 100% by renewable energy with a combination of large scale solar thermal, household PV, wind, gas turbines and home storage batteries. The development of storage batteries is moving fast (Parkinson 2016).

Great Australian Bight Environment Argument – Diverse, Unique, Significant

The Great Australian Bight is a unique, highly diverse and highly significant region of Australia. On land the magnificent Budda Cliffs limestone cliffs that reach up to 70m in height and stretch 100km, dominate the west coast of South Australia and eastern coast of WA. The region is unique having the worlds longest southern facing coastline (McLeay et al 2003).

The Budda Cliffs are iconic to the Great Australian Bight formed during the Cretaceous Period, 65 Million years ago when the continent separated from Antarctica. They contain fossils of marine invertebrates that once lived in the ocean when the sediment was part of the seabed. The significance of the Cliffs and the terrestrial environment has been recognised and has become an international tourism attraction as well as iconic branding for South Australia and the West Coast. In 2013 over 900,000ha of the Nullarbor Plain was protected under the highest level of protection, declared a Wilderness Protection Area. The thought of these magnificent and stunning stand stone cliffs being covered in oil is heartbreaking. Due to the remote location and sheer scale of the cliffs it would be near impossible to ever undertake the clean up after a spill had occurred. Even BP has addressed this in their own documentation stating that their tactic for the region is natural

5 weathering (Oil Spill Tactics Summary, Figure 3 and 3a). To see oil on these cliffs would be a blight on the Australian landscape and would impact upon the tourism industry.

6

Figure 3: Shoreline Clean up Operational processes BP

Source: BP Oil Spills Response Tactics Summary p.26

7

Figure 3a: BP Shoreline Clean up Technique Matrix

Source: BP Oil Spills Response Tactics Summary p.26

Legislative History of the Region

The protection and recognition of the biological significance of the region goes back over two decades to 1995. In 1995 under the South Australian Fisheries Act the Great Australian Bight Marine Park Whale Sanctuary was established. A year later 1996 the Great Australian Bight Marine National Park was established under the South Australian National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972. On 22nd April 1998 under the National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act (Commonwealth Waters) a Great Australian Bight Marine Park in Commonwealth/Federal waters was proclaimed covering an area of 19,395km2 including a Marine Mammals Protection Zone of 3,875km2 and a Benthic Protection Zone of 16,085km2. This was mainly in regards to the internationally significant breeding and nursery grounds of the Southern Right Whale and the significant benthic environment of the region. The area was managed jointly by state and federal governments before the implementation and establishment of the current Marine Parks Legislation. Currently the region falls under NOPSEMA jurisdiction. BP acquired the licences in November 2011-May 2012 and within 18 months to two years of their environmental disaster in the Gulf of Mexico covering 12,100km2 with drilling to occur

8 over 18-30 months this fell under the old legislation and the proposed drilling overlapped with the Benthic Protection Zone. Which was established ‘to protect a representative transact of the continental shelf and slope off the SA coast’.

The significance of South Australia’s coastline and the unique marine environment was highlighted in 2007 with the Marine Parks Act 2007 and Marine Park Zoning 2012.

Economic Importance of the Region

Tourism

Tourism in 2012-2013 in South Australia directly employs over 30,000 people, more than the mining industry, agriculture and forestry (South Australia Tourism Plan 2020). From the South Australian tourism plan it’s expected that tourism will generate an extra 10,000 jobs by 2020. At the time of the plans release in 2014 tourism contributed $5.1 Billion to the South Australian economy, 31,000 direct jobs and 20,000 indirect jobs. The West Coast and the Great Australian Bight have stunning natural landscapes and nature tourism from the iconic Kangaroo Island, Port Lincoln, cage diving with Great White Sharks, diving with Tuna and swimming with Sea lions at Baird Bay to exploring a number of National Parks. Visiting the Head of the Bight to whale watch was listed by Indaily as one of the top 3 experiences in South Australia (Indaily, 2016).

Aquaculture and Fishing Industry

Port Lincoln is the largest seafood capital in Australia and the Aquaculture Industry is a significant contributor to the South Australian economy and South Australian primary industries with aquaculture contributing more than half the states total value of seafood production. In dollar terms this ‘equates to $229 million of the states total seafood production value of $426 million, with the remainder ($197 million) contributed by the State’s wild catch fisheries’ (Australian Aquaculture 2014). Tuna production which Port Lincoln is well known for accounts for nearly 55% of South Australia’s gross value of aquaculture production and oyster 16% and marine finfish 12%. The aquaculture farming occurs mainly within Eyre Peninsula region and it is a significant contributor to the local economy and local communities with 67% of the aquaculture employees being from the local area (Regional Development Australia, 2011)

In addition the region supports five commonwealth fisheries and six South Australian fisheries. The South Australian fisheries are managed under the Fisheries Act 1982. In addition to the commercial fisheries and aquaculture there region supports significant recreational fishing and fishing based tourism (McLeay et al 2003, Ward McLeay and Rogers 2003).

In a time when South Australia’s economy is struggling and there is a loss of local jobs I believe risking multi-million dollar industries that are both highly significant to the state and also to local regions that employ local people for large international oil corporations is too much of a risk. In addition we risk damaging our international credibility in regards to our aquaculture, tourism and identity that we as a state have worked so hard on.

9

The Ecology of the Region and Biological Significance of the Region

The tidal and current movements in the Great Australian Bight are complex there are a number of different currents including the Leewin Current, Flinders Current, gyres and continental shelf currents that moves water around throughout the year. In addition during the summer and autumn months upwelling from the underwater canyons occurs carrying vital nutrient rich water with them that support entire ecosystems including large numbers of zooplankton (McLeay et al 2003, Ward 2002). In the central region of the Great Australian Bight zooplankton ‘support the highest densities of small planktivorous fishes, including sardines and anchovies, in Australian waters’ (McLeay et al 2003 p.8). Within South Australia alone 370 species of fish have been recorded in the waters of the Great Australian Bight with the Coastal Stingaree (Urolophus orarius) and Crested Threefin (Norfolkia cristata) only found within the Great Australian Bight in South Australia (McLeay et al 2003).

The environment within the bight supports a number of different sub ecosystems and a large number of species although it is identified within the scientific literature that there are a high proportion of species (diversity) and endemism within the Great Australian Bight that are yet to be identified and classified and it is a region of Australia that requires more scientific study. The Great Australian Bight is a unique environment that has both warm and cool water species, local endemic and subtropical species. The subtropical species come from travelling to the region by the Leeuwin Current which bring warm waters from the tropical regions (Shepherd 1991). There are a number of underwater up welling’s formed during the summer months 800km along the South Australian coastline (Kamph et al 2004) ones located by Kangaroo Island and another is the significant Bonny Upwelling (Butler et al 2002) where the nutrient rich waters sustain a range of marine life creating a localised highly enriched area (Butler et al 2002). This biologically enriched area sustains species including photoplankton, rock lobsters Blue Whales, sponges, corals, various species of seabirds, fishes, fur seals, penguins and Southern Right Whales.

The region has significant benthic biodiversity with a significant proportion of the benthic species being endemic to the region which is located close to the lease site held by BP (within 50km)

In addition it is recognised as a place of international significance as the home, breeding and nursery grounds to the endangered Southern Right Whale (Eubalaena australis) and the Australian Sea Lion (Neophoca cinerea) (McLeay et al 2003). The Southern Right Whales migrate from the southern feeding grounds in the Antarctic to the warmer sheltered waters in Southern Australia to breed, calve and rest from May-October annually and are distributed across the southern coast of Australia (Figure 4). Southern Right Whales along with many other species were pushed to the brink of extinction as a result of commercial whaling that occurred in Australia during the 18th and 19th Centuries. They have slow reproduction rates and have long lives and as such long term research and population is needed in order to monitor the populations (Charlton et al 2015).

10

Figure 4: Coastal Aggregation Areas for Southern Right Whales

Source: Department of Sustainability, Water, Population and Communities et al, 2011

The other species of significance in the region including within the region that fall under the EPBC Act are the Great White Shark (Carcharodon carcharias), many species of cetaceans, turtles, cuttlefish, seahorses and sea dragons.

Oil Spill Modelling

Out of the five companies currently holding leases in the Great Australian Bight BP is the only one that currently is at the development stage. As part of NOPSEMA’s approval process BP has to undertake oil spill modelling and submit a response plan if a spill event was to occur. I am deeply concerned that BP hasn’t publically released their oil spill modelling to the general public. In addition BP has now removed their response plan titled Oil Spill Response Tactics Summary from their website. This demonstrates that BP are inconsistent and not being transparent to members of the general public about the proposed development. In addition their own documents have stated that due to the fact that the area is unexplored and thus there is no knowledge of the makeup of the oil deposits that lie beneath the surface they can’t take into account weathering properties in the case of an oil spill. They have no idea how the oil would breakdown and weather (BP, GAB Exploration Drilling Fate and Effects of Oil Spill Modelling-public release). BP’s documents state that they strongly believe that they will be able to clean up and stop a spill within 32 days and as such there is

11 no need to cater for a longer recovery period. In response I believe that the company should have undertaken more research and had a detailed understanding of the makeup of the deposits and the benthic ecosystem. KJostka et al 2011 analysis on the weathering and impact of the 4.9 million barrels of oil that was spilled in the Gulf of Mexico disaster in 2010 and its impact on the microbial colonies of the region and the role microbial colonies played determined that there needs to be an understanding of impacts of oil on the microbial colonies and identifying the oil degrading groups of the region are required for directing the management and clean up of the spill. This is clearly absent in the case of the Great Australian Bight.

Independent oil spill modelling undertaken by Lebreton 2015 with a baseline of the level that is required to close fisheries found that a spill would devastate the South Australian fishing industry worth $442 million in addition the tourism worth over $1 billion to the state. The modelling looked at seasonal variation in the distribution and movement of the oil slick. Lebreton 2015 investigated the potential impacts for a well blowout on a drilling rig and of the release of oil into the water column and seabed and f only focused on the leases held by BP. Lebreton (2015) considered two seasons (Summer and Winter) this is due to the highly variable tidal currents, waves and the associated weather of the two seasons and four scenarios per season. Each scenario was characterised by location of the spill, duration, flow rate and the type of crude oil. Scenario 2A discussed here, this is a blowout resulting in 5,000 barrels (bbl) per day for 87 days (4 months) (Figures 5, 5a, 6 & 6a). The base level for impact was the level that is required for fisheries to close otherwise known as the oiling threshold which was 0.01g/m2.

Figure 5: Summer Oil Spill Trajectory for Scenarios 2A

12

Figure 5a: Summer Scenario for 2A closer up with focus on SA showing the Marine Parks and Marine Protected Areas

Figure 6: Winter Oil Spill Trajectory for Scenarios 2A

13

Figure 6a: Winter Scenario for 2A (120 days) closer up with focus on SA showing the Marine Parks and Marine Reserves in South Australia

A significant area of the Eyre Peninsula would be affected by an oil spill in both summer and sinter seasons as demonstrated in Figures 5 and 6. As seen in Figure 6 the region is more heavily impacted if a spill was to occur during the winter season than the summer season, destroying the fishing and tourism industry that together are worth over $293 million and threaten 1500 jobs. This in a time when the state’s economy doesn’t need any threats to jobs, our environment or economy. Whilst there are promises of royalties from this development I believe all the wealth from the development would end up overseas and yet it is the local business, industry and local communities that have it all to risk with livelihoods, jobs and industry.

As can be seen from Figure 5 and Figure 5a in the summer months due to the ocean currents the spill stretches across the southern coast of Australia and heads towards Western Australia covering an area of 213,000km2 with an 80% chance of oil thickness above levels to trigger the closure of fisheries. The most heavy impacts being on the south eastern coast of Western Australia in the Twilight Marine Reserve and directly (90-100% trajectory) within the Benthic Protection Zone of the Great Australian Bight off the west coast of South Australia. It has a 40% chance of fisheries closing in Port Lincoln and Kangaroo Island. It would stretch across southern Victoria and potentially reach the west coast of Tasmania.

During the winter season (Figure 6 and Figure 6a) within 4 months the oil heads east covering a surface of 265,000km2 from the exploration well straight towards Kangaroo Island(90-100%), Eyre Peninsula (lower Eyre 100%), Spencer Gulf (100% at entrance-20% at top of the Gulf) (breeding location of the Giant Cuttlefish), Victoria (60-70%) and Tasmania (10-50%) even reaching the Tasman Sea. It also has a 50-60% chance of hitting Adelaide’s beaches during peak beach and tourist season,

14 additionally In addition to impacting upon the Adelaide Dolphin Sanctuary at Port Adelaide, the delicate mangrove systems, remnant seagrass and intertidal reefs. It significantly impacts upon all marine parks in SA most significantly West Coast Bays Marine Park, Lower Yorke Peninsula Marine Park and Western Kangaroo Island Marine Park.

Any oil spill event would have a significant impact upon species and ecosystems of the region. Table 1 demonstrates the potential impacts on species and places of national significance as listed under the EPBC Act during both the summer and winter spill scenarios detailed and demonstrated below.

Table 1- Potential Impacts on Matters of National Environmental Significance (MNES) during Summer and Winter (2A) of oil spill scenario. * Denotes species that have been indicated by the Protected Matters Search Tool to have been confirmed to be either occur (breeding, congregation, foreaging) or have suitable habitat in the potentially affected areas. The balance of these values not included in parentheses indicates species which is likely occurrence.

MNES Category Summer Oil Spill (2A Winter Oil Spill (2A Scenario) Scenario) Commonwealth Threatened 46 (19)* 47 (18)* Species Commonwealth Migratory Species 80 (51)* 80 (52)* Commonwealth Marine Species 117 (74)* 173 (77)* Threatened Ecological 2 2 Communities Critical Habitats 1 1 Commonwealth Marine Areas 2 2 Commonwealth Marine Regions 2 2 Commonwealth marine Reserves 32 38 Commonwealth heritage Places 0 3 Ramsar Sites 5 10 World Heritage Properties 1 1 Natural Heritage Properties 3 4 Nationally Important Wetlands 32 50 Key Ecological Features 11 9

In addition listed under the South Australian National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972 in regards to fauna are 2 endangered species, 25 vulnerable species and 53 rare species.

It was concluded that ‘regardless of the oil spill scenario, the model predicted that at a minimum, there is a 70% to 80% likelihood of oil droplets reaching the Australian coastline.’p.3 This is in vast contradiction to what is presented in BP’s own documentation that has been released through their website or uncovered by the Guardian newspaper in May 2015. BP has publically refused to release their oil spill modelling however through the documents that are publically available I have gathered information in regards to the extent and response of a spill. It is noted that when analysing BP’s documents they are often vague and provide inconsistent contradictory information both within individual documents and between documents and I find this highly concerning. In addition BP have now removed the Oil Spill Response Tactics Summary from their website that details the various response options and techniques that will be used to clean up a spill.

15

In the majority of BP’s press releases and publically available documents they have stated that a spill can be capped and controlled within 35 days. The figure of 35 days comes from the company as it is the company’s best practice policy to have it contained within 35 days. BP have now however publically admitted that it could take in order of ‘..150 days to effectively kill the well and allow it to be permanently closed down’. This is even longer than the Deepwater Horizon Disaster that lasted for 87 days. The figures presented in the documents unearthed by the media state that if a blowout was to occur and a relief well is needed to be drilled (common industry practice) that it would take 158 days (Table 2) to cap the well. The documents also reveal that whilst BP goes into detail discussing the impacts of a spill a blowout of volatile oil for 35 days it does not discuss or provide an analysis of impacts if a spill was to occur for the worst case scenario of 158 days.

Table 2– BP’s Sequence of Drilling a Relief Well

Source: Guardian BP Documents p.13

The document released by the Guardian show that it would be necessary to bring equipment from Singapore, UK, Victoria and Texas USA to address a spill. The equipment sourced from overseas will first be taken to Perth Western Australia where it will undergo testing before it is then transported to Port Adelaide and then to the spill location.

In regards to the initial spill response from a time that a spill is reported on the rig or reported by a member of the public e.g. from aircraft or a shipping vessel it would take 24 hours to be confirmed by a boat from Port Adelaide An aerial survey is then undertaken (weather permitting) within 6-8 hours of the event with aircraft and personal stationed in Ceduna. Then teams are formed and resources are used including Australian Marine and Safety Helicopters and contracted and

16 experienced individuals undertake oil spill mapping. It is noted within the documents leaked by the Guardian and by BP Oil Spill Response document that dispersants need to be applied within the first few hours of a spill occurring in order to be effective. I don’t see how the use of dispersants is a possible option when the first chance to use them may be 48 hours after a spill has occurred and the equipment needed to disperse the dispersants has to be brought in from Singapore and the United Kingdom. The capping equipment is to come from Singapore and the Containment Response System (to contain the spill) from Houston, Texas. In the leaked documents it is noted that sourcing the appropriate equipment from Singapore takes 32 days and yet in the tactics response document it states 2-4 days. Sourcing the appropriate equipment from Houston in Texas will take 25 days and 35 days from the UK. These dispersants would be applied in two ways aerial and sub injection. The predicted time for oil to make landfall is 35 days.

If a complete blowout event was to occur a large number of vessels will be required to maintain recovery rate and to tow booms to collect the surface oil as it takes 40 hours for transit between the site and port as such large tankers would be needed to pump the oil into. In the ORS Response Summary it’s stated a possible method to be used is insitu burn (where the oil is lit on fire) this technique has never been used in Australia and will contribute a large number of fossil fuels directly to the atmosphere. It’s not recommended to be used after the 24 hour mark and only then it is stated in the ORLS Summary in the worst case scenario.

In a powerpoint presentation BP present that if there was a spill and it reached shore that the Southern Australia coastline would be split into zones (Figure ..) and then addressed however no information in regards to how this response would be managed (the management plan), or the key stakeholders who would be responsible for the clean up and who is financially responsible.

Figure

Source: Safe Complient Reliant Drilling in the GAB, BP 2015

I find it concerning that the levels used by BP to determine what are safe thresholds for ecosystems e.g. wetlands is sourced from United States data yet environments in Australia are unique and highly variable and this is particularly the case for the vast array of different ecosystems found along and

17 within the Great Australian Bight. Due to the high variation of ecosystems and species I believe that the detailed impacts upon all species and ecosystems along with ecological thresholds and management plans in regards to how oil, de-oiling agents would affect these communities and ecosystems be established before any drilling was to occur. Yet Kostka et al 2011, state that there is an increasing need to underling the impacts of oil on local microbial communities and to identify those communities that degrade or decrease and this must be taken into account when planning a clean up.

As a scientist and a member of the public I don’t understand how BP who plans on drilling later this year can begin drilling when the commissioned research on the region isn’t due to report back until mid to late 2017. In addition I find it seriously concerning that BP opened a facility at Port Adelaide on the 4th of March 2016 when it had yet to gain approval to drill in the Great Australian Bight, have yet to have their Environmental Management Plan approved by NOPSEMA (National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority) the regulatory body and have yet to release the findings of their Commissioned Research on the region. In addition it is ironic BP’s drilling rig, which cost $755 Million is completed and sitting in Korea waiting for deployment to the Southern Ocean is named the Ocean Great White. The same Southern Ocean that is home to and that is threatened by this development, the endangered Great White Shark.

There is just no need for more fossil fuels to be extracted and a Carbon Bomb released onto our planet. It’s irresponsible and its committing my generation and future generations to an unsustainable climate one where drought, extreme weather events, tropical diseases, food scarcity and water problems and a loss of species is guaranteed and common. The scientific and general community now know the effects of severe climate change will have on the planet why progress it further? Renewable energy should become Australia’s export not fossil fuels. In addition, the environment is too pristine to take the risk.

I request that the Committee recommend an immediate halt to all oil drilling plans in the Great Australian Bight and instead protect this incredible region from all oil and gas activities.

Regards

Rebecca Faulkner

18

Reference List n.a, 2016, Editorial Climate Change: Clean energy will bring exponential returns, The Age, 25th March http://www.theage.com.au/comment/the-age-editorial/climate-change-clean-energy-will-bring- exponential-returns-20160324-gnqgvb.html accessed 25/3/2016

Austin.N, 2015, Promise of Oil, thousands of jobs as companies hunt in Great Australian Bight, The Advertiser, 18th January, Adelaide, Australia http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/promise-of-oil-thousands-of-jobs-as- companies-hunt-in-great-australian-bight/news-story/b89278ca30126bf6e7c19ce8a9cf3647 accessed 31/3/16

Australian Aquaculture, 2014, ‘Aquaculture in South Australia’, World Aqaculture Adelaide, Australian Aquaculture http://www.aquaculture.org.au/images/downloads/Aquaculture_in_South_Australia_WAA14- factsheet.pdf

Accessed: 10/2/2016

Bight Petroleum, n.d, 2D Drill Leads and Resource Estimates, Bight Petroleum, accessed 29/3/2016 http://www.bightpetroleum.com/14830/2d-drill-leads-resource-estimates.htm

Bradshaw. J and Agencies, 2015, BP settles 2010 Gulf oil spill calims with US states for record $18.7bn, The Telegraph, 2nd July, UK http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/energy/oilandgas/11713507/BP-to-settle-2010- Gulf-oil-spill-claims-with-US-states.html accessed 4/7/2015

Butler.F, Furlani D, Altharus.F, Ridgeway.K, 2012, Assessment of the Conservation Values of the Bonny upwelling area Report to Environment Australia, CISRO Marine Research, Australia

Crone. T.J & Tolstoy. M, 2010, Magnitude of the 2010 Gulf of Mexico Leak, Science, Vol 330, 29th October, p.634

19

Department of the Environment,n.d, Climate Change Impacts South Australia, Department of the Environment, Government of Australia, Commonwealth of Australia http://www.environment.gov.au/climate-change/climate-science/impacts/sa accessed 28/3/16

Indaily, 2016, South Australia’s ‘bucket list’ experiences, 28th January, Indaily, Adelaide, SA http://indaily.com.au/travel/2016/01/28/south-australias-bucket-list-experiences/ accessed 28/1/16

McCutcheon. P, 2015, Great Barrier Reef coral bleaching at 95 per cent in northern section, aerial surveys reveal, 28th March, Australian Broadcasting Company http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-03-28/great-barrier-reef-coral-bleaching-95-per-cent-north- section/7279338 accessed 28/3/16

McLeay L.J., Sorokin S.J., Rogers P.J. and Ward T.M. (2003). Benthic Protection Zone of the Great Australian Bight Marine Park. 1. Literature Review. South Australian Research and Development Institute (Aquatic Sciences). Final Report to the National Parks and Wildlife South Australia and the Commonwealth Department for Environment and Heritage.

Parkinson.G, 2014, South Australia hits 100% renewables-for a whole working day, Renew Economy, 7th October http://reneweconomy.com.au/2014/south-australia-hits-100-renewables-for-a-whole-working-day- 86069 accessed 31/3/16

Parkinson.G, 2016, Redflows’s Hackett: We’re better than Tesla’s home battery storage, Renew Economy, 30th March http://reneweconomy.com.au/2016/redflows-hackett-were-better-than-teslas-home-battery- storage-13405 accessed 30/1/2016

Regional Development Australia Whyalla and Eyre Peninsula, 2011, ‘The Economy’, Regional Development Australia http://www.eyreregion.com.au/doing-business/the-economy#FISHING accessed 14/10/2015

20

Ward.T, Sorkorin. S.J, Currie.D.R, Rogers.P.J, McLeay.L.J, 2006, ‘Epifaunal assemblages of eastern Great Australian Bight: Effectiveness of a benthic protection zone in representing regional biodiversity’, Continental Shelf Research, Vol 26, p.25-40

http://business-humanrights.org/en/us-deepwater-horizon-explosion-oil-spill-lawsuits

South Australian Tourism Plan, 2010,

21