Protestors call for oil halt
Protesters covered in 'oil' today presented the oil and gas industry with a certificate of merit for overseeing the longest oil rig disaster in the nation's history.
The protest included bikini clad models posing in drums of 'oil', cardboard sea creatures and bolts of black material representing the oily waters of the Timor Sea.
The group pinned the certificate to the front of the Perth offices of the Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association in a flash mob protest on St Georges Terrace.
Organised by the Wilderness Society the protest called for a moratorium on further oil and gas exploration off the Kimberley coast.
Josh Coats from the Wilderness Society said the Kimberley was a unique environment that needed better protection to prevent spills like the Montara oil leak from ever happening again.
Mr Coates said the pace of development off the Kimberley coast needed to be slowed down and proper management procedures put in place to limit the impact of disasters such as the Montara spill.
Marine coordinator for the Wilderness Society Jill St John said her group was calling on the Australian Government and the APPEA to make sure that the company at the centre of the spill, PTTEP Australasia, did not claim a 150 per cent tax deduction of the $177 million it has so far spent on trying to fix the spill.
She said the Montara oil field was due to go into production in the next 12 months and all expenditure on oil exploration attracted a 150 per cent tax deduction.
"Ten weeks into Australia's worst platform oil spill, it is clear that both government and industry have for too long adopted a 'she'll be alright mate' approach to our marine environment," Dr St John said.
""We've had three failed attempts to cap the spill - while millions of litres of oil pollute the Kimberley seas - and the explosive admission from the peak industry body APPEA that the spill should never have happened, and now another leak reported in nearby waters."PTTEP has one last chance to salvage at least some of its reputation by agreeing to foot the full cost for its mess and not attempt to lump taxpayers with the bill."
