Council
20 October, 2023
Rally to oppose seismic blasting
RALLY organisers are hoping for big crowds at the Warrnambool Breakwater this weekend in a show of opposition to proposed seismic blasting in coastal waters along the Great Ocean Road.
The Gunditjmara-led Southern Ocean Protection Embassy Collective (SOPEC), with support of allies and local groups across the south west, have called the rally – which will begin at 2pm on Sunday.
There are growing concerns about a suite of proposals to conduct seismic blasting in coastal waters spanning the length of the iconic Great Ocean Road coastline and beyond, across the whole of Gunditjmara sacred lands and sea country.
The seismic blasting is commonly used to identify resources beneath the ocean floor, blasting powerful sound waves that have been shown to negatively and harshly impact marine ecosystems.
This has raised the concerns of marine biologists, environmentalists, First Nations groups, commercial and local fishermen, swimmers and surfers.
Both Warrnambool and Moyne shires recently voted to oppose the plans and committed to advocating to relevant federal ministers and regulators on their behalf.
Gunditjmara Whale Songline custodian, Yarran Couzens Bundle, will take up the national fight to protect Sea Country in Warrnambool this weekend.
The protest comes just four years after Warrnambool came out in record numbers to support the successful Fight for The Bight campaign, which saw the Norwegian oil and gas giant, Equinor, withdraw from the area.
“Seismic blasting companies are not genuinely engaging with or understanding traditional custodians and their deep reciprocal kinship relationships with Sea Country,” Yaraan Couzens Bundle, Gunditjmara woman and Whale Dreaming Custodian said.
“Traditional owner consultation is never about if a project goes ahead, only how and when.
“Consultation is not consent. In Gunditjmara country, seismic blasting can never coexist peacefully with ancient living creation Songlines and our sacred traditions.”
According to Ms Bundle, no EP-environment plan, put forward by any company, can truly measure the irreversible damage done by seismic blasting and then drilling into the ocean floor.
“Many significant Southern Ocean species from the plankton families, including the southern rock lobster to other species like the short-finned eel and southern right whales, have been blatantly dismissed and their rightful; place in their own habitats is shown to come last for consideration,” she said.
Deakin University marine science Phd candidate and protect organiser Zoe Brittain, has added her voice to the rally.
“The Great Southern Ocean is an incredibly unique part of the world, providng a home to a large and diverse range of species that we are lucky enough to live alongside,” she said.
“Many of these species are not mentioned even once in any of the environmental plans put forward by seismic testing companies, meaning the potential levels of harm seismic testing could cause is unknown.
“Why must our local government bear the burden of risk, especially when we know these systems are already so delicate?”
Warrnambool City councillor Angie Paspaliaris said while she appreciated the “converse argument” about Australia relying on a variety of energy sources, her view was that the country does not have a gas supply problem, it has a gas export problem.
“As far as I’m aware almost 80 per cent of Australia’s gas is exported so we have, and we have had, plenty we just aren’t keeping much for ourselves,” she said.
“That we should accept the idea of disturbing and impacting our marine environment to facilitate searching for more is a completely illogical concept.”
