BUSSELTON residents joined in a nationwide protest to show support for better protection of water resources from gas mining.
The protest was organised under the banner of the Lock the Gate #Water4Life campaign.
The event was set to be the nation’s biggest roadside protest spanning every state and territory along the Australia’s major highways.
Lock the Gate coordinator in WA Boudicca Cerese said the event had attracted strong support and was an indication of the level of concern in WA at threats to water from the unconventional gas industry.
“Local groups and individuals will be gathering at rest stops along our major highways to call for action to protect our water resources,” she said.
“We’ll be sending a direct message to passing motorists that they should ‘Vote 4 Water not Gas’ and ‘Vote 4 Water before Fracking’ when they cast their vote in the Federal election on July 2.”
Ms Cerese said they would call on all federal candidates and political parties to commit to protect water resources, support the dining boom and protect the health of communities from unconventional gas mining.
Busselton resident Janine Miles joined the protest and said communities were standing together to show they do not want water at risk from gas mining.
She said there was already a gas site at Whicher Range and a gas exploration licence was about to be granted in this area which put the Yarragadee aquifer at more risk of contamination.
“There is about 5000 liters of diesel down one of the Whicher wells at the moment which could be seeping into the aquifer,” she said.
“We have information about how the wells failed in the USA and we just want to make sure our water does not become contaminated and our children remain healthy.”
In the South West protests were staged in multiple locations across Busselton, Capel, Nannup, Bunbury, Margaret River, Cowaramup, Stratham and Harvey.
