Story and photo by Tamara Desiatov
MELBOURNE — About 200 people attended a September 12 protest against the proposed Williamstown Mobil oil refinery expansion into a two-kilometre buffer zone around the plant. Construction in the zone, which is owned by the company, would bring the refinery's operations within 600 metres of local residences and Paisley secondary college.
The proposed expansion was approved by the Victorian government under a "fast tracking" process to bypass normal planning requirements. Mobil continues to ignore community rejection of the expansion, claiming jobs will be lost if the plan is stopped.
However, Mobil has already destroyed many jobs through restructuring, new work practices and multiskilling. Further proposed "modernisation" will wipe out even more jobs.
No detailed plans and designs have been issued, either for the existing refinery or the new project, and there has been no environmental impact statement, despite promises of community consultation from Premier Kirner only weeks before the project was approved.
Geraldine Schutt from the Coalition Against Refinery Expansion says the group was formed in January after a supposed community consultation, which actually allowed very little input from residents.
The rally was addressed by several candidates in the October 3 elections. Rose Williams, a Paisley student and Environmental Youth Alliance member, told Green Left Weekly: "We have been getting smells from the refinery ever since I can remember; it interrupts classes and sometimes we can't go outside at lunchtimes. Recently we had to evacuate for two periods. Students complained about nausea, headaches and sore eyes.
"If they put a cracker unit there, students will be at even greater risk."
Maureen Fisher, another Paisley student, said, "Mobil offered to plant trees along our oval so we don't have to look at the refinery — they think that if we can't see it, we won't know it is there".
Mobil has a long history of illegal emissions and other violations of its licences. Community complaints date back to its opening more than 30 years ago. The expansion, and a proposal to import more oil from the Middle East, will increase the risk of oil spills in Port Phillip Bay and require new pipelines and storage tanks.
Mobil admits that sulphur dioxide emissions may increase with the use of Middle East crude, which is higher in sulphur and other impurities.