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senate vote 2010-05-13#2
Edited by
mackay staff
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2015-01-16 15:03:42
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Title
Petroleum Exploration- Motions - Petroleum Exploration - Protect marine wildlife of Margaret River coastline
Description
<p class="speaker">Rachel Siewert</p><p>I move:</p><dl><dt></dt><dd>That the Senate—<dl><dt>(a)</dt><dd>notes that:<dl><dt>(i)</dt><dd>the Government has included in the annual release of offshore petroleum exploration areas for 2010 an area 83 km off the coast of Margaret River in south Western Australia,</dd><dt>(ii)</dt><dd>the Government is expected to announce its final decision on the release of this area on 16 May 2010,</dd><dt>(iii)</dt><dd>up to 90 per cent of the marine life in the south west region of Australia is unique and half of the world’s whale and dolphin species use the region,</dd><dt>(iv)</dt><dd>the region is becoming increasingly important for the tourism industry,</dd><dt>(v)</dt><dd>the area proposed for release overlaps the Naturaliste Plateau, which is considered likely to be a treasure trove of undiscovered species,</dd><dt>(vi)</dt><dd>the south west region is currently undergoing assessment as part of the bioregional marine planning process,</dd><dt>(vii)</dt><dd>the proposed new petroleum exploration area overlaps the ‘southwest corner’ area identified within this process for further assessment and potential inclusion in a network of new marine parks under the bioregional marine planning framework, and</dd><dt>(viii)</dt><dd>the Montara Commission of Inquiry is still underway, and at the same time a serious oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is threatening large areas of the coast line of the United States of America; and</dd></dl></dd><dt>(b)</dt><dd>calls on the Government not to pre-empt the marine protection process and to withdraw the area off the coast of Margaret River from the offshore petroleum exploration areas release program until a network of marine protected areas has been put in place to protect the south west’s unique marine life.</dd></dl></dd></dl><p>I would also note that around 1,680 people have signed an online petition opposing the release of this exploration area.</p>- The majority voted against a [motion](http://www.openaustralia.org.au/senate/?id=2010-05-13.45.2) introduced by Greens Senator [Rachel Siewert](https://theyvoteforyou.org.au/people/senate/wa/rachel_siewert), which tried to protect the marine wildlife of the [Margaret River](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_River) coastline by preventing [petroleum exploration](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrocarbon_exploration) there.
- ### Wording of the motion
- > *That the Senate—*
- > *(a) notes that:*
- >> *(i) the Government has included in the annual release of [offshore petroleum exploration areas](http://www.industry.gov.au/resource/UpstreamPetroleum/OffshorePetroleumExplorationinAustralia/Pages/default.aspx) for 2010 an area 83 km off the coast of [Margaret River](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_River) in south Western Australia,*
- >> *(ii) the Government is expected to announce its final decision on the release of this area on 16 May 2010,*
- >> *(iii) up to 90 per cent of the marine life in the south west region of Australia is unique and half of the world’s whale and dolphin species use the region,*
- >> *(iv) the region is becoming increasingly important for the tourism industry,*
- >> *(v) the area proposed for release overlaps the [Naturaliste Plateau](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naturaliste_Plateau), which is considered likely to be a treasure trove of undiscovered species,*
- >> *(vi) the south west region is currently undergoing assessment as part of the [bioregional marine planning process](http://www.environment.gov.au/topics/marine/marine-bioregional-plans/about),*
- >> *(vii) the proposed new petroleum exploration area overlaps the ‘southwest corner’ area identified within this process for further assessment and potential inclusion in a network of new marine parks under the bioregional marine planning framework, and*
- >> *(viii) the [Montara Commission of Inquiry](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montara_oil_spill) is still underway, and at the same time a [serious oil spill](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deepwater_Horizon_oil_spill) in the Gulf of Mexico is threatening large areas of the coast line of the United States of America; and*
- > *(b) calls on the Government not to pre-empt the marine protection process and to withdraw the area off the coast of Margaret River from the offshore petroleum exploration areas release program until a network of marine protected areas has been put in place to protect the south west’s unique marine life.*
<p>Question put.</p>
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