Protect The Great Australian Bight

Add Signature

BP, Chevron and now Equinor have all abandoned their plans to drill for oil in the Great Australian Bight, but other companies still hold exploration leases in the area. If you want to see the Great Australian Bight protected for future generations, add your name to the petition asking the Australian Parliament to legislate to protect the Bight from oil drilling and to officially begin the process of declaring the area a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Great Australian Bight is a marine environment of almost unparalleled ecological significance off the southern coast of Australia.

The Bight is an area of major cultural importance to the Mirning people, the traditional custodians of the land, a globally significant nursery for the endangered southern right whale and it acts as a sanctuary for critically endangered southern bluefin tuna, Australian sea lions, great white sharks, albatross, turtles, and seahorses.

Australia Institute research has shown that:

  • A catastrophic oil spill in the Bight would put more than 27,000 fisheries and tourism jobs at risk and it could reach coastlines all the way from WA to NSW.
  • An oil spill has the potential to wipe out Tasmania's wild catch fisheries - an industry worth around $200 million. That is before we think about the impact to Tasmania's tourism industry, which relies heavily on its clean and green image.
  • South Australia stood to gain 27 times less than the Norwegian government, financially, if drilling was allowed to proceed.
  • 60% of Australians and 68% of South Australians are opposed to drilling in the Bight.

Now it's time for the government to pursue Word Heritage status for the Bight and protect it from drilling forever.

If drilling is allowed to go ahead, billions of barrels of oil are expected to be burnt, turbocharging global warming at the exact time we should be drastically reducing carbon pollution.

We, the undersigned--

Call upon the Australian Parliament to protect the Great Australian Bight from exploitative oil drilling that will put at risk thousands of jobs, as well as huge swathes of the Australian coastal and marine environment.

We call upon the Australian Parliament to legislate to protect the Great Australian Bight from oil drilling and to officially begin the process of declaring the area a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Great Australian Bight is an environmental treasure of national and international significance. Allowing companies to drill for oil in the Bight would accelerate global warming by further increasing Australia’s carbon emissions, put tourism, aquaculture and fisheries jobs at risk and endanger an essential marine ecosystem that acts as one of the most important whale sanctuaries in the world.

It is time to protect the Bight and the regional economies that rely on a healthy ocean to survive.

ADD YOUR NAME --

3,143 signed so far

Will you sign?

: :

:

:

:

:

: :

: :

:

:

: :

:

:

: :

By signing this petition you accept the Australia Institute's Privacy Policy.

Latest supporters

Alistair McKee signed 2020-02-26 02:41:29 +1100
Merle Karpin signed 2020-02-26 02:38:32 +1100
Lauren Tyson signed 2020-02-26 02:29:26 +1100
Elizabeth Anderson signed 2020-02-26 01:49:56 +1100
Andrew Greenhill
Andrew Greenhill signed 2020-02-26 01:41:00 +1100
Mark Jones signed 2020-02-26 01:27:25 +1100
Paul Murphy signed 2020-02-26 01:19:58 +1100
Harriet Riley signed via Geoff Riley 2020-02-26 00:53:27 +1100
Jenny Smith
Jenny Smith signed 2020-02-26 00:47:29 +1100
Emilie Dornaus signed 2020-02-26 00:37:32 +1100
Shane Drew signed 2020-02-26 00:23:45 +1100
Bev Murfin signed 2020-02-26 00:22:36 +1100
Stephen Baggaley signed 2020-02-26 00:07:08 +1100
Stef Fetzer signed 2020-02-26 00:05:37 +1100
Peter Fackender signed 2020-02-26 00:04:13 +1100
Bruce McQueen signed 2020-02-26 00:03:23 +1100
Madeleine Blakers signed via Mirella Dodd 2020-02-26 00:02:52 +1100
Margaret Crerar signed 2020-02-26 00:00:35 +1100
Marion Dick signed 2020-02-25 23:59:23 +1100
ronald pope signed 2020-02-25 23:59:04 +1100
Pam Townshend signed 2020-02-25 23:55:39 +1100
John Bartholomew
John Bartholomew signed 2020-02-25 23:54:18 +1100
Tom Smallman signed 2020-02-25 23:53:31 +1100
Mirella Dodd signed 2020-02-25 23:48:07 +1100
Jane Lochrin signed 2020-02-25 23:47:21 +1100
Mike Robinson signed 2020-02-25 23:45:29 +1100
Brian Wilcock signed 2020-02-25 23:44:40 +1100
george mercier signed 2020-02-25 23:38:47 +1100
Elaine Lever signed 2020-02-25 23:36:21 +1100
Judith Croft signed 2020-02-25 23:31:42 +1100