Seismic blasting is loud, can we be louder?

Norwegian oil and gas exploration company TGS is seeking approval to undertake dangerous seismic blasting in a whale superhighway—and we’ve got until 11 August to blow it out of the water.

TGS plans to undertake seismic blasting over an acquisition area of 45,000km2 off the coasts of Victoria and Lutruwita / Tasmania, on Gunditjmara and Eastern Maar sea Country.

Seismic blasting can kill and cause serious stress to marine life of all shapes and sizes.

If we don’t stop this blasting before it starts, it could lead to the discovery of gas deposits and the creation of ...

Norwegian oil and gas exploration company TGS is seeking approval to undertake dangerous seismic blasting in a whale superhighway—and we’ve got until 11 August to blow it out of the water.

TGS plans to undertake seismic blasting over an acquisition area of 45,000km2 off the coasts of Victoria and Lutruwita / Tasmania, on Gunditjmara and Eastern Maar sea Country.

Seismic blasting can kill and cause serious stress to marine life of all shapes and sizes.

If we don’t stop this blasting before it starts, it could lead to the discovery of gas deposits and the creation of new gas projects—at a time when we need to drastically scale back fossil fuels to stay within safe limits of global heating.

The Albanese government was elected with a promise to “restore community trust in environmental decision-making”. That means they must listen when the community says no.

Will you email Resources Minister Madeleine King and offshore oil and gas regulator NOPSEMA to voice your opposition to this reckless proposal before comments close on 11 August?

Image: James Mann

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Email Minister King & NOPSEMA

Email the Resources Minister and the offshore oil and gas regulator to oppose seismic blasting in a whale superhighway today.

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Dear Minister King and NOPSEMA,

I am writing to register my personal opposition to seismic blasting being proposed by oil and gas company TGS in the Otway Basin off the coasts of Victoria and Lutruwita / Tasmania, on Gunditjmara and Eastern Maar sea Country. I understand that the public comment period for this proposal is currently open.

Given the climate and nature emergencies we face, it is unconscionable to approve an activity that is deadly for marine life and enables the expansion of the fossil fuel industry.

At a time when government and business need to drastically scale back fossil fuels to stay within safe limits of global heating, the era for fossil fuel exploration is over.

I am appalled that the Australian government would potentially allow the type of speculative prospecting licence being sought by TGS to continue to be granted at all. Let alone in the absence of full and proper public consultation, and in the face of such an obvious lack of social licence for this, and similar, proposals.

The public has a right to transparency, accountability and integrity in decisions made about nature. This is what the Albanese government has promised to deliver—but the consideration of seismic blasting in sensitive marine ecosystems for speculative fossil fuel prospecting shows it isn’t happening.

I understand that previous seismic blasting undertaken in this area, by the same titleholders, may have badly impacted cetaceans and was (and may still be being) investigated for breaches of the company’s environment plan. These investigations and impacts haven’t even been disclosed in the documentation seeking approval for this new blasting proposal.

This TGS project should not be approved. I urge the government to intervene to prevent any approval of a Special Prospecting Authority for this or any similar activity.

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