To: The Scientific Panel I’m highly concerned about the unconventional gas mining and fracking industry in Western Australia for the following reasons. Environment: – WA’s vital water resources are at risk of contamination and depletion from fracking operations due to water and chemical use, and wastewater production[1]. – Our unique flora and fauna are threatened due to habitat fragmentation, wastewater leaks and accidents during transportation. – Current, weak WA fracking regulations[2] don’t limit pollution or make mandatory independent, long-term monitoring of environmental factors like water and air quality. Health: – Serious health effects have been experienced by communities living near gasfields in the USA and QLD following the commencement of unconventional gas operations—including respiratory ailments; nose, throat and eye irritations; and neurological illnesses[3]. Climate: – Unconventional gas mining and fracking leads to large, deliberate and fugitive methane emissions, which dangerously contribute to climate change[4] and increase local community fire risk. Community: – Landholders and Traditional Owners don’t have the legal right to lock the gate and refuse access on their land to oil and gas companies in WA. – Research in Queensland has shown[5] that the industry has led to a reduction in community wellbeing and social cohesion. It has also caused a deterioration in local skills and infrastructure, fewer additional local job opportunities, and limited economic benefit to the wider community. Due to the unacceptable risks that the onshore unconventional gas fracking industry poses to a community’s rights to water and health, I urge the Inquiry to recommend a complete ban on gas fracking and all unconventional gas mining activities across Western Australia. References: [1] Vogwill R (2017) Western Australia’s Tight Gas Industry - A review of groundwater and environmental risks. http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/224730962?selectedversion=NBD59948815 Last accessed: 22/1/2018 [2] DMP (2015) Guide to the Regulatory Framework for Shale and Tight Gas in Western Australia, http://www.dmp.wa.gov.au/Documents/Petroleum/WEB_Shale_and_Tight_Gas_Framework.pdf Last accessed: 22/1/2018 [3] Haswell M, Bethmont A (2016) Health concerns associated with unconventional gas mining in rural Australia. Rural and Remote Health 16, 1–36. https://www.rrh.org.au/journal/article/3825 Last accessed: 22/1/2018 [4] TAI (2016) A review of current and future methane emissions from Australian unconventional oil and gas production. http://www.tai.org.au/content/review-current-and-future-methane-emissions- australian-unconventional-oil-and-gas-production/ Last accessed: 22/1/18 [5] TAI (2015) Be careful what you wish for: The economic impacts of unconventional gas in Queensland and implications for Northern Territory policy makers. http://www.tai.org.au/sites/defualt/files/Be%20careful%20what%20you%20wish%20for%20FINAL_ 0.pdf Last accessed: 22/1/18 Additional comments to the Wilderness Society Proforma Submission These comments have been displayed exactly as they were provided. A total of 39 comments have been removed as they were crude, vulgar or used abusive language. PLEASE stop pumping the planet full of poison!!!!! No more ripping up and destroying our beautiful country. Renewable energy and less invasive practices are a must. Franking is dangerous to the water table, the environment and people and animals in the vicinity. NO FRACKING As a beef producer in the beautiful and fertile SW of WA I'm highly concerned about the unconventional gas mining and fracking industry in Western Australia. I believe that there is sufficient evidence (as set out below) of adverse outcomes both in Australia and overseas for WA to impose a total ban on fracking. Why take such a risk? Let's look for renewable & cleaner energy sources.We have such limited capacity to produce food in WA and anyway and our south west is an international tourist drawcard. No-one in their right mind would want to destroy that. But apart from anything else, as a rural resident and farmer who loves their land and community and has spent a lot of time and resources caring for them and helping them more sustainable, I am deeply concerned about the likely social impact of fracking in our rural communities. Landholders and Traditional Owners don't have the legal right to lock the gate and refuse access on their land to oil and gas companies in WA. I am unable to imagine what it would feel like to have my farm INVADED by this industry! I am an ex oil field worker and having seen or heard of so many covered up accidents in the industry plus the fact no one will personally guarantee there will not be a contamination of our water then I say that we cannot afford to place gas or oil ahead of water. We can’t drink oil or gas I didn't realize how dangerous this practice is to the water supply around it. Stop it already! People matter morethan profit. I’m very concerned about the unconventional gas mining and fracking industry in Western Australia. I don’t want it contaminating our water table - and for the following sound reasons. Do not ignore them! They matter enormously for our State”s future. Tourists come here because we’re clean and safe with unique plants and animals. Please don’t f- it up! I am not a great letter writer but I agree with the submission above in regards too the operation of fracking in our wonderful country de we need to lose any more of our Fauna/Fauna and polution of our under ground water supplies it has been shown where this fracking tales place how much damage is created to our wildlife wildflowers and water supply Please take a step towards keeping our country as it is we can no longer allow this fracking to continue and destroy what we have Thank you Will your name be honoured and remembered as one who uses science to create a sustainable natural world reducing the need for harmful chemicals and practices or one who ignorantly or knowingly, goes along with allowing fracking in WA because of financial gain or fear of being bullied and ostracised? So be brace, be strong, because we depend upon you to do what is right and protect our natural world. It is all we have. Once it is destroyed by greed and pollution...that is it. All over red rover, because we don't have anything else. So please, once again, read the following : To whom it may concern, which is EVERYONE, 1.Projects such as Santos' Narrabri gas project in NSW have been plagued by an alarming number of accidents and breaches. From just 56 'test' wells at Narrabri there have already been 20 reported spills or leaks of toxic coal seam gas water, including one that poisoned an aquifer with heavy metals including uranium. 2.Fracking is already destroying farmers' livelihoods and depleting natural resources around Australia. 3. Texan's who have experienced fracking are shouting from the rooftops DON'T DO IT!! 4. For all you pro-fracking people keep trying to push through a 'yes', the answer from the MAJORITY is NO. 5. It is NOT WORTH THE RISK, however unlikely you claim a risk might be, the bottom line is... 6.WATER IS OUR LIFELINE, NOT GAS 7. Water not only to drink, but to irrigate our crops & keep our dairy & meat industry alive...... Spraying with contaminate water = NO FOOD & NO DRINKING WATER. 8. This will AFFECT YOU, YOUR FAMILY, CHILDREN, GRANDCHILDREN, & OURS..... 9.WHY are you even considering taking that risk with people's health & maybe life, all for gas & money.....? I support a nation wide ban on fracking. i support 100% renewable energy. our wilderness and water is too precious to risk All of Australia should take Victoria's lead. Wa does not need this it's going to cost our future too much. There is alternatives. Please save our country from the rest of the worlds hungry energy needs! Fracking is madness. An environmental catastrophe. The world over it has ruined the areas where it is carried out. Don't do it in WA! Fracking is an environmental disaster. Wateris life and fracking destroys water. This is all about money and profit not the good of human beings or Mother Earth . Wake up and value what is truly valuable. Mother Earth, Water, the environment and all of humanity. So sick and tired of abuses to our environment. Money is not going to sustain the welfare of the people in future generations. Stop fracking now! The potential damage from fracking in Western Australia outweighs any potential benefit. It might be easy to put a dollar value on the damage when it has been done - but it's not easy to put a dollar value on what you have protected. Please don't burden future communities with more failed well-intentioned decisions of the past - like DDT, human climate damage, asbestos disease. I want to add my voice to others who are also highly concerned about the unconventional gas mining and fracking industry in Western Australia for the following reasons WA is the driest state in this country and we can’t afford to risk the contamination of what little ground water we have. Please ban all fracking from WA. For all our sakes. Based on critical scientific research, gas fracking is attractive from a short term financial perspective, however from a triple bottom line perspective, it should not be employed at all, as it is environmentally unsustainable and the short term financial gain will not offset the long term ecological pain. I’m really concerned about the unconventional gas mining and fracking industry in Western Australia for environmental, health and social reasons.