WA Premier says cane toads bigger threat to Kimberley than gas hub
AAP
Environmentalists risk losing sight of the bigger issues affecting the Kimberley by focusing on a "tiny plot of land" near Broome planned for a gas hub, West Australian Premier Colin Barnett says.
Mr Barnett has spent the past two days in Broome meeting with the council, chamber of commerce, Aboriginal groups and Woodside over the company's planned $30 billion liquefied natural gas hub at James Price Point.
The premier tried to appease protesters of the gas hub on Wednesday by telling them cane toads posed a bigger threat to the Kimberley than the project.
While Mr Barnett said it was a throw-away line, he stood by the point that there were other, bigger issues confronting the Kimberley than a project on 3500ha of land "you will neither see nor hear".
He told ABC Radio on Thursday cane toads were causing "immense damage to wildlife and the natural environment of the Kimberley."
"... I hope people don't get so distracted by the LNG project on one small, tiny plot of land, they lose sight of the bigger issue of the Kimberley and its protection."
Mr Barnett said he reassured protesters the project would be the only LNG plant in the Kimberley and ruled out the construction of any further industrial complexes in the area.
"There's been rumours there were going to be fertiliser plants, chemical plants and the like," he said.
He added a law will be introduced through the state agreement which will make that impossible.
The division among the Broome community over the project has intensified in recent weeks with Woodside employees reportedly being spat at and abused.
Newsletters have also been disseminated labelling Aboriginal leaders who support the project as "coconuts".
The Kimberley Land Council, on behalf of traditional landowners, agreed to hand over their rights over the land in exchange for $1.5 billion in benefits to the region's Aboriginal communities.
Mr Barnett initially asked the Attorney General to investigate whether charges can be laid under racial vilification laws but now concedes that is unlikely.
"The police probably know who it is, I doubt charges will be laid," he said.
The premier said he urged protesters and environmental groups to "come out publicly and disassociate themselves with the racial vilification" as their credibility was on the line.