WA:Woodside pledges to protect bilbies

AAP General News (Australia)
08-09-2011
WA:Woodside pledges to protect bilbies

PERTH, Aug 9 AAP - Woodside Petroleum has pledged to ensure that no populations of
bilbies will be harmed during development of its proposed $30 billion gas hub in the Kimberley.

Conservation group Environs Kimberley on Monday called on federal Environment Minister
Tony Burke to step in and stop bulldozing at the site, 60 kilometres north of Broome,
after the discovery of bilbies in the area.

Clearing work is underway at and around the James Price Point site so that geotechnical
studies can be carried out for the proposed joint venture gas precinct project led by
Woodside.

Environs Kimberley director Martin Pritchard said on Monday that Broome residents had
captured footage of a bilby at the weekend and the threatened marsupials had burrows in
areas slated for bulldozing.

Mr Pritchard said the bilby was found outside the proposed gas precinct site but within
an area where land-clearing permits had been granted for the geotechnical studies.

Ecologist Malcolm Lindsay said his survey at the weekend turned up fresh tracks and
multiple burrows that confirmed there was a healthy population of bilbies north of the
proposed precinct.

Mr Lindsay said there were old burrows within the proposed precinct and the animals
would be likely to recolonise that area over time unless prevented from doing so.

Woodside said in a statement on Tuesday that it acknowledged that bilbies were likely
to be found throughout the Dampier Peninsula.

"Environmental consultants have conducted numerous surveys in and around the proposed
LNG precinct area and found no distinct populations or colonies of bilbies," the statement
said.

"These surveys have used a range of techniques including motion sensor cameras, trapping
and transect walks."

Woodside said it would seek further information from Environs Kimberley to determine
the exact location of the reported bilby population sighted north of the precinct area.

"We would be keen to conduct further surveys to document any bilby population in the
area and ensure it is not impacted by Woodside's proposed development," it said.

Mr Burke is considering his approval for the project through the Environment Protection
and Biodiversity Conservation Act.

The joint venture partners for the proposed gas hub have yet to finally sign off on the project.

AAP ldj/mp

KEYWORD: BROWSE BILBIES

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