16/09/2023
Don't despair. Every step on this fight is worth taking!
: Traditional Custodian Raelene Cooper has been granted an urgent injunction to prevent Woodside Energy seismic blasting for its Scarborough Gas Project!
The injunction means Woodside cannot commence seismic blasting until at least September 28.
Today, Justice Colvin decided that the injunction should be granted in part due to the reasonable prospect that the first ground of Ms Cooper’s substantive legal challenge to NOPSEMA approval of the seismic blasting will be successful. His honour brought the hearing for that argument, and a separate question of Ms Cooper’s standing as to her second ground, forward until later this month.
Following today’s decision, Mardudhunera woman Raelene Cooper said:
“I’m elated and very grateful and appreciative of the court with its decision today and my team and their brilliant minds and heart effort from the beginning.
“I’m looking forward to an opportunity to be heard.
“Woodside has not conducted proper consultation with Traditional Custodians about the impacts of its seismic blasting on our culture.
“The risks and the impacts of Woodside’s seismic blasting and the consequences of these actions will be life threatening for many species of water life, especially the whales. These majestic and graceful marine mammals carry our songlines from one part of Country to another, they are documented on our munda (rocks), and they are our dreaming stories that I hold.
“Our planet and our world is being attacked; we humans are being attacked; my ancient culture is being attacked; and I and those who carry and hold songlines are being attacked. If we don't act, then we too face the same fate as those majestic animals who recently beached themselves in Albany to get out of the water.”
EDO Special Counsel Clare Lakewood said:
“We’re very relieved that our client will now be able to present her case to the Federal Court without the threat of this seismic blasting commencing in the meantime.
“Our client did not take this action lightly. However, the threat to songlines and culturally important animals was such that she felt compelled to ask the court for an urgent injunction.
“We look forward to returning to court in a few weeks to present our case as to why the the approval NOPSEMA gave to Woodside was not legally valid.”
Read more: https://www.edo.org.au/2023/09/14/im-elated-traditional-custodian-granted-injunction-against-woodsides-seismic-testing/
