'Buru' Fracking in West Kimberley without consulting Elders ... and they are creating bird and animal death traps

Yawuru man Micklo Corpus said that Buru Energy had not listened to the Yawuru people and this was a serious breach of their rights, given that 94% of the Yawuru were against the process. Making matters even worse, dingos, reptiles, birds and various small marsupials have been found trapped in their tailings dams which contain a toxic mixture of chemicals from the fracking process. These dams often include heavy metal traces and hydrocarbons drawn up from deep underground as a part of fluid recovery.

Pictured: Micklo Corpus, Yawuru man and activist (Source: Sovereign Union Pic: Cheryl)

11 December 2014

Fracking in the Canning Basin is taking place against the wishes of the lands traditional owners, the Yawuru People, according to Greens Member for the Mining and Pastoral Region Robin Chapple MLC.

YouTube Video (Robin Chapple Vimeo)
Buru Energy Fracking in the Canning Basin
Pictured: Micklo Corpus

Yawuru man Micklo Corpus said that Buru Energy had not listened to the Yawuru people and this was a serious breach of their rights, given that 94% of the Yawuru were against the process.

Mr Chapple said Buru Energy had already established a network of more than 3500 kilometres worth of seismic lines and several test fracking wells in the area, all on Yawuru land.

"This strikes right to the heart of our government’s attitude towards indigenous people in Western Australia," he said.

"Any development the government considers on Yawuru lands, especially one as invasive as fracking, should not be undertaken unless the express permission of the Traditional owners is given first.

"More than anything this is about showing respect to traditional owners and it should be standard practice."

Mr Chapple said fracking in the Canning Basin was just another inclusion to an expanding list of backwards decisions made by the Barnett government along with the closure of more than 150 remote communities and significant proposed changes to the Aboriginal Heritage Act.

For more information contact Robin Chapple on 0409 379 263 or 9486 8255. Robin also has a comprehensive understanding of the WA Heritage Act and implications for First Nations and Peoples.

(Image: WAToday)

Steve Holland WA Today 15 December, 2014

A rotting dingo found in a poisonous plastic-lined pond operated by a West Australian gas explorer has prompted concern from the Greens.

Robin Chapple
Greens Member for the Mining and Pastoral Region
(Source: NIRS)

Buru Energy's Yulleroo operation in the Kimberley has seen the creation of numerous plastic-lined ponds which trap water.

But Greens Member for the Mining and Pastoral Region Robin Chapple said when the ponds are dry they become death traps for animals.

"It's not just dingoes but also reptiles, birds and various small marsupials that have been found trapped in these ponds," he said.

"These tailings dams contain a toxic mixture of chemicals from the fracking process and also often include heavy metal traces and hydrocarbons drawn up from deep underground as a part of fluid recovery.

"They are clearly not addressing the reality that native animals will see these ponds and assume they are a safe water source."

Mr Chapple said Buru's fracking operations in the Kimberley should be immediately halted until a 'proper and thorough environmental assessment' of the company's activities has been conducted.

"Buru energy have proven time and again that they are not fit to manage, nor have they properly assessed, the potential environmental impacts of this invasive mining process," he said.

"Until such time as they can guarantee that precious groundwater reserves won't be contaminated, local ecosystems won't be affected and native fauna won't continue to die horrible deaths in their toxic ponds then they should not be allowed to continue operations."

The Department of Mines and Petroleum previously admitted in Parliament that Buru had potentially breached environmental standards.

But Mr Chapple said little has been done to address the problem.

"The Department's response is to ask Buru to do things.

"They have done the things they were asked to do but it didn't fix the problem," Mr Chapple said.

Buru Energy has been contacted for comment.

Pictured: Sign at Micklo Corpus protest site in the West Kimberley (Source: Sovereign Union Pic: Cheryl)