The Gunditjmara-led Southern Ocean Protection Embassy Collective (SOPEC), with the support of allies and local groups in the South West have called a rally against seismic blasting on October 22, 2023.
There are growing concerns about a suite of proposals to conduct seismic blasting in coastal waters spanning the length of the iconic Great Ocean Road coastline and beyond, across the whole of Gunditjmara Sacred lands and Sea Country.
Our local communities will gather to show opposition to these projects on Sunday October 22nd at the Warrnambool Breakwater at 2pm.
The seismic blasting is commonly used to identify resources beneath the ocean floor, blasting powerful sound waves that have been shown to negatively and harshly impact marine ecosystems. This has raised the concerns of marine biologists, environmentalists. First Nations groups, commercial and local fishermen, swimmers, and surfers.
Both Warrnambool and Moyne Shire Council recently voted to oppose the plans and committed to advocating to relevant federal ministers and regulators on their behalf. Recently, Raelene Cooper, A traditional Mardudhunera Custodian in Western Australia, successfully won a legal bid to stop Woodside from performing seismic blasting on her Sea Country. This follows on from Dennis Murphy Tipakalippa who won a similar case for the Tiwi Islanders against Santos late last year.
As CGG brings their public consultation to a close, Gunditjmara Whale Songline custodian, Yarran Couzens Bundle, will take up the national fight to protect Sea Country in Warrnambool on Sunday October the 22nd.
The protest comes just 4 years after Warrnambool came out in record numbers to support the successful Fight For The Bight campaign, which saw the Norwegian oil & gas giant, Equinor, withdraw from the Great Australian Bight.
Quotes
“Seismic blasting companies CGG and TGS are not genuinely engaging with or understanding traditional custodians and their deep reciprocal kinship relationships with Sea Country. Traditional owner consultation is never about if a project goes ahead, only how and when. Consultation is NOT consent! In Gunditjmara Country seismic blasting can never coexist peacefully with ancient living creation Songlines and our sacred traditions. No EP-environmental plan, put forward by any of these companies can truly measure the irreversible damage done by seismic blasting and then drilling into the ocean floor. Many significant Southern Ocean species from the plankton families, including the southern rock lobster to other migratory species like the short finned eel and the largest life on earth, blue whales, along with southern right whales and their nursery waters, have been blatantly dismissed and their rightful place in their own habitats is shown to come last for consideration or isn’t independently and thoroughly researched in these massive fossil fuel extraction projects! Our Gunditjmara First Nations birthrights on our place of belonging, Sacred Country our ancestors have cared for and occupied for thousands of years are also not understood so cannot be “managed” or compromised! We are fighting against the largest blasting survey area in the world! On sacred Songlines!Ancient waters not theirs to destroy! “
Yaraan Couzens Bundle, Gunditjmara woman and Whale Dreaming Custodian
The Great Southern ocean is an incredibly unique part of the world, providing a home to a large and diverse range of species that we are lucky enough to live alongside. Many of these species are not mentioned even once in any of the environmental plans put forward by seismic testing companies, meaning the potential levels of harm seismic testing could cause is unknown. Why must our local environment bear the burden of risk, especially when we know these systems are already so delicate? When the seismic testing companies can’t even show a basic understanding of highschool science concepts during community consultations, it begs the question of how they can be trusted to thoroughly address more complex environmental concerns.
Zoe Brittain Deakin University Marine Science Phd candidate and protest organiser
I also appreciate the converse argument about Australia relying on a variety of energy sources. However, my view is that Australia does not have a gas supply problem, it has a gas export problem. As far as I’m aware almost 80% of Australia’s gas is exported. So we have, and we have had plenty, we just aren’t keeping much for ourselves. [That] we should accept the idea of disturbing and impacting our marine environment to facilitate searching for more?…To me it’s a completely illogical concept.
Cr Angie Paspaliaris, Warrnambool City Council
Images of Yaraan- Couzens Bundle – Gunditjmara Whale Dreaming Custodian
MEDIA RELEASE
The Gunditjmara-led Southern Ocean Protection Embassy Collective (SOPEC), with the support of allies and local groups in the South West have called a rally against
seismic blasting on October 22, 2023.
There are growing concerns about a suite of proposals to conduct seismic blasting in coastal
waters spanning the length of the iconic Great Ocean Road coastline and beyond, across
the whole of Gunditjmara Sacred lands and Sea Country.
Our local communities will gather to show opposition to these projects on Sunday October
22nd at the Warrnambool Breakwater at 2pm.
The seismic blasting is commonly used to identify resources beneath the ocean floor,
blasting powerful soundwaves that have been shown to negatively and harshly impact
marine ecosystems. This has raised the concerns of marine biologists, environmentalists,
First Nations groups, commercial and local fishermen, swimmers, and surfers.
Both Warrnambool and Moyne Shire Council recently voted to oppose the plans and
committed to advocating to relevant federal ministers and regulators on their behalf.
Recently, Raelene Cooper, A traditional Mardudhunera Custodian in Western Australia,
successfully won a legal bid to stop Woodside from performing seismic blasting on her Sea
Country. This follows on from Dennis Murphy Tipakalippa who won a similar case for the
Tiwi Islanders against Santos late last year.
As CGG brings their public consultation to a close, Gunditjmara Whale Songline custodian,
Yarran Couzens Bundle, will take up the national fight to protect Sea Country in
Warrnambool on Sunday October the 22nd.
The protest comes just 4 years after Warrnambool came out in record numbers to support
the successful Fight For The Bight campaign, which saw the Norwegian Oil & Gas giant,
Equinor, withdraw from the Great Australian Bight.
Quotes
Seismic blasting companies CGG and TGS are not genuinely engaging with or
understanding traditional custodians and their deep reciprocal kinship relationships with Sea
Country. Traditional owner consultation is never about if a project goes ahead, only how and
when. Consultation is NOT consent! In Gunditjmara Country seismic blasting can never
coexist peacefully with ancient living creation Songlines and our sacred traditions. No EP-
environmental plan, put forward by any of these companies can truly measure the
irreversible damage done by seismic blasting and then drilling into the ocean floor.
Many significant Southern Ocean species from the Plankton families, including the
Southern Rock Lobster to other migratory species like the Short Finned Eel and the largest
life on earth, Blue Whales, along with Southern Right whales and their nursery waters, have
been blatantly dismissed and their rightful place in their own habitats is shown to come last
for consideration or isn’t independently and thoroughly researched in these massive fossil
fuel extraction projects! Our Gunditjmara First Nations birthrights on our place of belonging,
Sacred Country our ancestors have cared for and occupied for thousands of years are also
not understood so cannot be “managed” or compromised!
We are fighting against the largest blasting survey area in the world! On sacred Songlines!
Ancient waters not theirs to destroy! “
MEDIA RELEASE
Yaraan Couzens Bundle, Gunditjmara woman and Whale Dreaming Custodian
The Great Southern ocean is an incredibly unique part of the world, providing a home to a
large and diverse range of species that we are lucky enough to live alongside. Many of these
species are not mentioned even once in any of the environmental plans put forward by
seismic testing companies, meaning the potential levels of harm seismic testing could cause
is unknown. Why must our local environment bear the burden of risk, especially when we
know these systems are already so delicate? When the seismic testing companies can’t
even show a basic understanding of highschool science concepts during community
consultations, it begs the question of how they can be trusted to thoroughly address more
complex environmental concerns.
Zoe Brittain Deakin University Marine Science Phd candidate and protest organiser
I also appreciate the converse argument about Australia relying on a variety of energy
sources. However, my view is that Australia does not have a gas supply problem, it has a
gas export problem. As far as I’m aware almost 80% of Australia’s gas is exported. So we
have, and we have had plenty, we just aren’t keeping much for ourselves. [That] we should
accept the idea of disturbing and impacting our marine environment to facilitate searching for
more?…To me it’s a completely illogical concept.
Cr Angie Paspaliaris, Warrnambool City Council
Images of Yaraan- Couzens Bundle – Gunditjmara Whale Dreaming Custodian
Campaign song: Upwelling – By Carli Reeve
