September 4, 2018: Councils representing one third of all voters in South Australia have now moved voted to ban oil drilling in the Great Australian Bight.Last night Port Lincoln council successfully moved a motion to oppose any drilling in the Bight, becoming the thirteenth council to do so. Their decision is yet another blow to Norwegian oil giant Equinor who is currently planning to begin exploration activities next year.

“The decision by Port Lincoln council shatters any pretense of a social license for oil companies in the Great Australian Bight that might be claimed by the oil industry and its lobbyists such as APPEA,” Greenpeace Australia Pacific Senior Campaigner, Nathaniel Pelle, said.

“Port Lincoln is home to the largest fishing fleet in the southern hemisphere and is the centre of an industry, and the long-term jobs that go with it, that supplies more than a quarter of Australia’s seafood catch by value. These industries and jobs would be put at risk by the routine oil spills and seismic blasting that are part of oil drilling and in the case of a catastrophic accident like the Deepwater Horizon disaster they’d be wiped out permanently.

“We welcome Port Lincoln council’s leadership and would ask that any government that puts oil company profits before the Bight environment and the jobs in harmony with nature should take note.”

The twelve SA councils which have voted to oppose oil drilling represent 407,500 voters and there are currently 1.197 million voters currently enrolled to vote in SA. The Victorian council of Moyne has also moved to oppose the drilling.

Pelle said that the wide opposition to oil drilling meant that it would be a pivotal issue in the upcoming federal election.

“The Australian people have repeatedly sent the message to our government that we want clean energy and transport, powered by renewables,” he said.

“Our elected representatives must listen to their voters and tell the fossil fuel industry there is no room in the Bight for dangerous oil exploration.”

For interviews contact:

Simon Black

Greenpeace Australia Pacific Senior Media Campaigner

0418 219 086 / [email protected]