PERTH — Western Australia's Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has given conditional approval for a massive marina and resort to be constructed next to the fragile Ningaloo Reef, 1200 kilometres north of Perth. However, the Save Ningaloo Campaign is gaining widespread public support. Green Left Weekly's SEAN MARTIN-IVERSON spoke to Save Ningaloo Campaign's PAUL GAMBLIN, Greens WA state MP GIZ WATSON and NIKKI ULASOWSKI, from the Socialist Alliance, about the campaign.
What will be the impact of the resort on the Ningaloo Reef ecosystem?
Paul Gamblin (PG): Ningaloo Reef is one of the most pristine and healthy coral reef systems left in Australia. It's very fragile and is home to many endangered species. It's very close to the shoreline, so any development on land could seriously impact on the reef and its wildlife.
You can just imagine the impact of a development of the size that is being planned — with accommodation for 2500 people and a massive 46-hectare marina. There will be 200-metre sea walls built out into the bay. The construction process will release sediment and contaminants into the water. The impact will last a long time. There will be a massive, permanent increase in boat traffic when it is complete.
Now that the EPA has recommended that the development be allowed to proceed with conditions, how can the reef be saved?
PG: The EPA came as close as it ever does to saying no to the development proposal. The EPA said that the development could go ahead, as long as the WA government was prepared to put in significant resources to manage the area. It is estimated that this will cost taxpayers more than $1.1 million. The developers could make a lot of money and damage the environment.
Nikki Ulasowski (NU): We knew all along that the EPA could not be relied upon to put the environment before big business profits, so we should not be discouraged.
We also cannot rely on the WA Labor government to do our job for us. For Ningaloo to be saved, we need to make it clear that there is strong opposition to this development and that Labor will pay a political price if it ignores it. Although the campaign has won strong support, we need to translate that into sustained public action on the streets.
PG: The campaign was initiated by local, national and international conservation organisations and peak bodies, however it has taken on a life of its own. It's a massive campaign, as you can see from the number of bumper stickers around: well over 60,000 have been distributed. We've had a massive number of hits on our web site — more than 330,000 — and more than 50,000 emails, letters and petition signatures. There have been packed town hall meetings. Everything we do now is a big event.
What is the WA Labor government's policy towards the Ningaloo development, and broader issues of coastal management?
Giz Watson (GW): The state Labor conference opposed the development. That is a strong indication that the ALP's grassroots agree with the community that this development is not appropriate for such a fragile reef system.
The Labor Party's MPs are deeply divided. I've spoken to supporters of both sides and I think there is a very heated cabinet discussion going on. When it comes to the crunch, all we can do is to keep the pressure on them and hope that those who are passionate about saving Ningaloo Reef have the numbers.
NU: While there are some within the ALP who support saving Ningaloo, and the WA Labor conference passed a weak motion in support of sustainable development, we know we can never rely on a Labor government to listen to its rank and file. The real danger is, unless a strong environment movement outside the ALP can bring them into line, the vested interests in favour of the development within the government will outweigh the force of public opposition.
What should the next steps in the campaign be?
PG: The campaign is building all the time. The campaign isn't anti-development, we don't think that's a plausible or realistic position to hold. One reason we've got such strong support, particularly in the north-west, is that we have a pragmatic approach. There are ways of accommodating increased tourism that won't damage the environment. With real eco-tourism, people will come to look at the pristine environment, rather than some sort of theme park.
GW: There is a public "Rally for the Reef" rally in Fremantle on December 1. It's really important that it is a huge rally. It's also important that people write letters to government members, expressing their opposition to the project. I think we must keep the pressure up in the public arena — utilising talk-back radio, holding public meetings and rallies, and ensuring that MPs get the message about saving Ningaloo very directly. I wouldn't lift the pressure from this government for a minute, until it does the right thing.
NU: A lot of hard work has been done by activists to build the campaign to save Ningaloo to the level it is at today. The December 1 rally will be a great opportunity to demonstrate the strength of the campaign and its broad support.
It will help to give supporters of the campaign a sense of strength and an avenue for participation in the campaign. It will demonstrate very clearly to the WA government that there is overwhelming opposition to the resort. More rallies will be needed.
PG: We hope that a lot of people will come along on December 1 to show their support for sustainable development at Ningaloo and to show their solidarity with the campaign. However, a lot of people from the north-west won't be able to make it, so there is going to be a rally at Exmouth and another one at Coral Bay, the site of the development. There are also a lot of people internationally who will be following the events.
[The "Rally for the Reef" rally takes place at 11am, Sunday, December 1, at the Fremantle Esplanade. Visit <http://www.saveningalooreef.org> for more information about the campaign to save Ningaloo Reef.]
From Green Left Weekly, November 27, 2002.
Visit the Green Left Weekly home page.