Readers of this page will no doubt be aware by now that we take a dim view of non-conventional gas extraction, especially here in the South West. Look no further than the editorial of June 29 (“Stupid energy policy endangers all”) for an introduction to why it is such a bad idea.
In the run-up to the federal election I spoke to many people across the South West to try to get a sense of what issues were motivating voters in the region. Gas exploration is a deeply unpopular subject and I see people objecting to it across the South West for three main reasons.
The first is economics. In my previous column on the topic I quoted property developer Chantel Gelmi who said her investment would be jeopardised if fracking went ahead because her development is predicated on environmental cleanliness and safety. There is also the argument that fracking has had very little positive economic impact in the US or Europe as well as the fact that it would provide relatively few jobs. One also has to consider recent modelling that shows a move to renewable energy would be cheaper than fossil fuel business-as-usual which if remotely true imposes a responsibility on us to move in that direction, and fast.
The second reason is the classic environmental rationale: people are worried about the safety of our water and our land.
The third reason is really a combination of the first two and I’ve begun calling it the South West Premium Factor – the fact that we have some of the best food and produce in the world and can charge a premium for it. Tourism, agriculture and the resulting food and produce exports are rightly valued here to be worth more than what fracking could produce and worth protecting as they’re a large part of what makes the region attractive and valuable. Food safety is another topic we’ve looked at on this page.
Following the recent federal election, Greens Forrest candidate Jill Reading said the electorate’s ‘hot’ issues had revealed developing fractures in food security.
“Farmers and growers are seriously under pressure at several points,” she said.
“The additive effects of these pressure points indicate the potential for developing fractures in local food security. Farmers are being made to feel insecure, and are pessimistic about how long their businesses will last. Insecurity of agriculture means less export capability and the potential for insecure local food supplies.”
So it is heartening indeed to see two Labor politicians, Mick Murray and Sally Talbot, take a strong stand with their campaign for a total ban on fracking in the South West.
Murray believes fracking is an unacceptable and unnecessary risk to the region’s groundwater supplies, pristine farmland, world-renowned tourism and unique biodiversity.
“The South West is regional WA’s most popular tourism destination by a country mile,” he said. “It produces some of the world’s best food and wine and our natural forests and waterways are stunning. I’m worried about the Yarragadee Aquifer, our largest underground freshwater store.
“The risks fracking poses to the South West’s agriculture and tourism sectors and the thousands of local jobs they support are too significant to ignore.”
At the launch of their campaign Talbot told me that it is important to remember that she and Murray are not anti-industry.
“Mick and I come from a place in the Labor party that has always supported industry and innovation,” she said.
“Other regions will make their own decisions about fracking, but here in the South West we have to support the right industries to ensure long-term growth. We have an amazing infrastructure already and have to sustain that.”
Talbot and Murray now face the task of convincing their caucuses to adopt the ban as policy. It should be a no-brainer: too much is at stake and the popular will has certainly made itself felt throughout the region and well beyond.
Join me in wishing them luck.
– Jem Hedley
