However, this controversial mining technique is still permitted in parts of the Kimberley and Mid West under strict regulations and approval processes.<\/p>\n
Throughout the last seven years, environmental groups have been calling for a total statewide ban, bringing the issue back into the spotlight ahead of this weekend’s Labor state conference in Fremantle.<\/p>\n
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People gathered outside WA’s parliament for an anti-fracking rally.\u00a0 (ABC Perth: Lauren Smith\u00a0)<\/p>\n
The conference brings together Labor members and delegates to debate ideas and discuss the party’s future.<\/p>\n
What is fracking?<\/p>\n
The term fracking is short for hydraulic fracturing, a process by which oil and natural gas are extracted from beneath the ground.<\/p>\n
It involves drilling deep into rock layers and pumping in a high-pressure blend of water, sand, and chemicals to open small fractures.<\/p>\n
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This allows the trapped oil and gas to flow out to the surface for extraction.<\/p>\n
Environmental lobbyists and traditional owners are sounding the alarms about the long-term impacts on the Kimberley’s unique landscape, where fracking is partly exempt, citing water pollution and habitat damage.<\/p>\n
How did WA determine its current fracking laws?<\/p>\n
An Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) review of fracking practices was handed down in 2018, which concluded that fracking risks could be managed under strict regulations.<\/p>\n
A total of 44 recommendations were made, including:<\/p>\n
No fracking to be allowed within 2 kilometres of public drinking water sources;All projects to include EPA assessment;An enforceable code of practice; andNo fracking to be allowed within 2 kilometres of towns and dwellings.<\/p>\n
About 2 per cent of WA is open to fracking on existing petroleum titles, in parts of the Kimberley and Mid West.<\/p>\n
A ban or moratorium protects the remaining 98 per cent of the state.<\/p>\n
WA Premier Roger Cook said the state had “incredibly tight rules” around “exotic means of extracting gas like fracking”.<\/p>\n
“It’s banned across 98 per cent of WA’s land mass, and land owners and traditional owners have the capacity to veto any production on their land.”<\/p>\n
But this is not 100 per cent accurate.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Roger Cook says the state’s fracking laws are the tightest in the country.\u00a0 (ABC News: Courtney Withers)<\/p>\n
Labor has committed to allowing traditional owners and landholders the right to veto projects, but the legislation has not been amended yet.<\/p>\n
No timeline was provided for when this “veto power” would come into place.<\/p>\n
What do anti-fracking protesters say?<\/p>\n
The region’s unique landscape needs to be protected, according to Mangala woman Madeleine Jadai.<\/p>\n
“We want our country to be clean like it was when we grew up. We don’t want fracking, and we call on the premier, Roger Cook, to say yes to a ban on fracking in the Kimberley,” Ms Jadai said.<\/p>\n
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Madeleine Jadai and her daughter, Nuriah Jadai, at an anti-fracking rally taking place at WA parliament.\u00a0 (ABC Perth: Lauren Smith\u00a0)<\/p>\n
And while 2 per cent of the state may sound like a small number, Environs Kimberley’s chief executive, Martin Pritchard, said “the area open to fracking in WA is nearly the size of Tasmania”.<\/p>\n
“Does the WA Labor Party want to be responsible for opening up the Kimberley to one of the most invasive, polluting industries on the planet?” he said.<\/p>\n
“This is not an industry that’s compatible with the globally significant natural values of the Kimberley.”<\/p>\n
Mr Pritchard said the tight race in the seat of Fremantle, in both the state and federal elections, was in part due to issues like fracking.<\/p>\n
What about economic impacts?<\/p>\n
The WA Chamber of Minerals and Energy “doesn’t support blanket bans on any sort of mineral or energy commodity development”, policy and advocacy director Anita Logiudice said.<\/p>\n
The resource sector remains the backbone of the state’s economy, contributing to hundreds of millions in spending and wages.<\/p>\n
Ms Logiudice said a total ban could deter future investment from international trading partners.<\/p>\n
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The Chamber of Minerals and Energy of WA policy and advocacy director, Anita Logiudice. (Supplied)<\/p>\n
“We feel bans limit the ability of the WA resource sector to support the energy transition and the security not only of WA’s energy supply, but also the security of our trading partners,” she said.<\/p>\n