Thursday, June 14, 2012

Goodside Vs Woodside

14 June 2012 -

Senator Bob Brown holds a press conference to reveal a new poster of Western Australia's endangered James Price Point, home to calving whales and ancient dinosaur tracksites.



Retiring Greens leader Bob Brown has sent all MPs a poster of WA's James Price Point, where Woodside plans to drill for gas, as his parting gift.

Retiring Australian Greens leader Bob Brown's last move before handing in his Senate seat on Friday is to lobby all federal MPs to protect part of Western Australia's Kimberley region from gas drilling.

Woodside Petroleum has agreed to hold off on drilling at its contentious Browse liquid natural gas project until a court dispute about planning approvals is resolved.

Senator Brown told reporters in Canberra on Thursday his "parting gift" to Prime Minister Julia Gillard and other MPs was a poster featuring a photograph of James Price Point.

The area includes dinosaur track- sites from a 130 million years ago as well as whale calving grounds and indigenous heritage sites.

"There are alternatives for Woodside's destructive gas factory but there are no alternatives for this remarkable piece of living, cultural and natural heritage," Senator Brown said.

"Now across to Julia Gillard, Tony Abbott and Tony Burke who can stop this."

Senator Brown has written to the board of Woodside seeking a meeting about the project.

The company says it is doing appropriate environmental and cultural heritage studies.

Senator Brown said he had put lobbying against the project on his post-retirement priority list.

He will hand Senate president John Hogg his resignation letter on Friday.

"The minute that resignation hits the desk I'm ex-senator Bob Brown," he said.

"It's been a delight to be serving this country and the Australian Greens and all the voters of the country who want to see heritage protected and a good future secured for the last 16 years."

Senator Brown will be replaced by Tasmanian winemaker Peter Whish-Wilson.

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