Senate debates

Tuesday, 19 March 2013

Motions

Whales: James Price Point

3:56 pm

Photo of Rachel SiewertRachel Siewert (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

(i) a recently released community survey of humpback whales recorded a minimum of 2 669 individual whales, including cow-calf pairs, passed within 8 km of the James Price Point shoreline, which exceeds the 1 000 whales That the Western Australian environmental assessment process estimated would pass, and

(ii) the research recorded That the whales engaged in resting, milling, playing and slow swimming behaviour close to shore, and that some humpback whales are born in the area and use it for vital first interactions; and

(b) calls for the Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities (Mr Burke) to:

(i) commission more extensive and thorough research into the use of the James Price Point area by humpback whales so That the potential impact of the proposed gas hub development can be adequately assessed, and

(ii) examine the Browse gas hub proposal in light of its impact on humpback whales.

Question negatived.