A note from the Surfriders Foundation – Following on from our Seismic Blasting info night in Torquay last month, we are running another one in Barwon Heads. We aim to raise awareness about this highly dangerous process, which is the first step in exploring for gas in the oceans of our Otway Basin covering a 5.5 million hectare area from Cape Otway to the SA border and as far south as NW coast of Tassie. It includes prime blue whale feeding habitat, whale migration areas & southern rock lobster fishing grounds.
Come and learn about seismic blasting which involves,
- Blasting the seafloor with high-powered airguns measuring the echoes with tubes kilometres in length to map offshore oil and gas reserves,
- Sound waves louder than atomic bombs, blasted into the ocean every 10 seconds, day and night for months on end,
- Marine life is displaced, injured and killed,
- People and communities are impacted,
- Facilitates the extraction of more fossil fuels, and subsequent carbon emissions.
When: Saturday 29th July
Where: Barwon Heads Community Hall
77 Hitchcock Avenue, Barwon Heads
Doors Open: 4 pm for a 4.30pm start.
This is a free event presented by Surfrider Foundation Australia and Surfrider Foundation Surf Coast Branch. Please reserve your seats at https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/seismic-blasting-the-otways-again-tickets-667221205587
… and share this with your mates. All welcome!
Also, TGS’s Environmental Plan is out for consultation, released by NOPSEMA, Australia’s offshore energy regulator. The Environment Plan has a 30 day consultation period which ends on 11th August 2023.
All concerned beach lovers, surfers, fishers and coastal dwellers have the opportunity to comment and provide feedback. Here is a link to the link to the Environment Plan https://consultation.nopsema.gov.au/. Click on the link that says Otway Basin 3D Multi Client Marine Seismic Survey. Anyone can make a submission. You could mention the endangered species acts for Southern Right Whale and Blue Whale.
Some studies on the impacts on seismic blasting that we are presenting to coastal communities can be found here https://drive.google.com/file/d/1fIzkaslnrZNhC4u3AOSuKyMgsNQjoWPm/view?usp=sharing
They want to start blasting on 1st October 2023 and could occur for 200 days per year (with a maximum of 400 days total) until 2027. We’ve beaten similar proposals around Australia (#FightForTheBight and PEP11 off Sydney) and other communities are having similar wins and coastal communities are becoming aware of the dangers of seismic blasting so let’s giddy up and make some noise!
Also, if you can’t make it to the Barwon Heads session, we have another session happening at Apollo Bay on Sunday 30th July in conjunction with the fishing industry down there and OCEAN. $10 adults, $5 kids, please pay cash. It starts at 3.30pm at the Apollo Bay Community Hall and includes speakers, Q&A panel, live music refreshments and a showing of the award-winning film Sonic Sea which showcases the effects of man-made noise on marine species.
Surfriders Foundation. Photo: Phil Hines.
HuG 