OCEAN - Warrnambool

OCEAN Warrnambool sits upon the unceded lands and waters of the Gunditjmara nation. The Gunditjmara peoples represent the longest ongoing culture in the world, who have been caring for Country since time immemorial 🌊🌿 Companies looking to seismic test on their Country often claim we cannot prove harm as there isn't enough "data" - And everyday, but this NAIDOC week in particular, we stand up alongside staunch First Nations people saying NO to seismic testing to remind these companies that Aboriginal knowledge IS data. We call on our supporters to amplify the voices of all legendary First Nations activists who are fighting the good fight to keep the fire burning and protect their ancient Whale songlines 🐋🔥🐳


.o.p.e.c
Photo credit to

Warrnambool crew!

Join us at 6pm tmw at Co Lab in dispensary lane (next to Allee Espresso/Timor market in the Ozone carpark)

Where siesmic blasting company TGS will be fielding our questions and comments re their plans to undertake the Largest sesimic blasting project in the worldby far -in our patch of ocean!!!

Help us make some noise of our own ans let them know exactly what we think of this senseless destruction!

🌊🌊🌊✊🏽✊🏽✊🏽💥💥💥

Otway Basin blasting slammed for poor consultation - Surf Coast Times Otway Basin seismic blasting plan criticized for lack of transparency. Community demands better engagement & questions redacted NOPSEMA documents.

Interesting and tragic coincidence with Woodsides recent seismic blasting in WA....

A mass stranding of between 50 and 100 pilot whales is occurring at Toby’s Inlet near Dunsborough.

Experienced staff from DBCA and Perth Zoo vets are currently being deployed to respond to this evolving situation.

We know people want to help but we asked that people please do not attempt to rescue the animals without direction of DBCA staff as this may cause further injury, and distress to the animals and hinder a coordinated rescue effort.

If you would like to help, please contact the Parks and Wildlife Service Busselton office on 9752 5555.

The highest priority at mass whale stranding events is always human safety followed by animal welfare. We want all staff and volunteers to go home safe.

We ask that people please follow instructions of DBCA staff to ensure the highest human safety and animal welfare outcomes are achieved.

🎉 Win for communities fighting to stop seismic blasting in Gunditjmara Sea Country! 🎉

Glenelg Shire Council has officially opposed the practice of seismic blasting within the Otway Basin, passing a motion 6-1 against its use for oil and gas exploration.

Glenelg Shire is the fifth Victorian council to formally oppose seismic blasting, standing alongside Warrnambool City Council, Moyne Shire Council, Colac Otway Shire, and Surfcoast Shire in this environmental stance. This decision comes as two oil and gas companies, TGS/SLB and CGG, have submitted plans to regulator NOPSEMA to conduct seismic surveys along the Southwest Victorian coastline in 2024, including what would be the largest 3D seismic survey in history by TGS/SLB.

Keep up the community resistance! Sign the Citizens Protection Declaration through the link in our comments to support First Nations people and local communities who are fighting these proposals! 🔗

SOPEC - Southern Ocean Protection Embassy Collective OCEAN OCEAN - Warrnambool Surfrider Foundation

Talk about people power! 🥳

Today, Woodside Energy's Board faced huge backlash due to climate inaction- with a record-breaking vote against its climate strategy. 🙌

Over 10,000 Australians urged their super funds to hold Woodside’s board to account, and shareholders, including some super funds, acted.

Big business is on notice, this is a warning that Woodside can’t ignore.

To everyone who urged their superfunds to vote for people and planet, thank you! 💚

Let’s keep up the pressure on the Anthony Albanese Government to reject Woodside's plans for more chaos! 👇️

https://acf.to/3TSMrTR

It's official: Glenelg Shire Council becomes the 5th Victorian council to support a moratorium on the use of seismic blasting to expand the fossil fuel industry!

The motion was supported 6-1, with Cr Scott Martin abstaining from the vote citing sections 26.3 and 26.4d of Glenelg Shire's governance document, although conceded that the motion's principles align with the Shire's aspirational 2040 Community Plan.

It is our belief the local councils can and should advocate on issues affecting its community, even if they fall outside the normal jurisdiction of a local council. This is because governments have a duty of care, at all levels, to protect its citizens as best they can from the negative effects of industrial development as well as the accelerating challenges of climate change.

Glenelg Shire Council has committed to contacting the regulator and proponents involved expressing their support, on behalf of their residents, for a moratorium on the use of seismic blasting.

On Saturday, rig workers spotted a ‘sheen’ of gas condensate floating on the ocean’s surface in the Gippsland Basin between Victoria and Tasmania.

The slick came from a leaking gas pipeline belonging to oil and gas giant Esso that had ruptured during the early stages of being shut down—a process known as decommissioning.

This 'sheen' is now travelling through the ocean between Tasmania and Victoria, through the habitat of endangered blue whales and other rare and threatened species.

How did it happen?

The offshore oil and gas developments in this region of Australia are some of the oldest in the country. Rigs and pipelines are rusting, dangerous, and toxic to the marine environment.

Even those being decommissioned—like the pipeline involved in Saturday’s leak—contain traces of petroleum and other hazardous chemicals.

Worryingly, Esso wants to use old oil and gas infrastructure in other parts of the Gippsland Basin for carbon dumping projects, also known as carbon capture and storage (CCS). This would involve pumping concentrated carbon dioxide under the ocean floor.

If a similar pipeline rupture were to happen on a carbon dumping project, the leaking carbon dioxide would acidify the seawater and do untold damage to shellfish and the local marine ecosystem.

Australia’s offshore regulator, NOPSEMA, needs to stop acting as an industry enabler, tighten regulations, and protect our oceans from risky carbon dumping projects.

📷 A gas pipeline dissapearing underwater.

‘Switch off for Shearwaters’ - fledglings first flight.

With this year’s Short-tailed Shearwater fledglings getting ready to leave Griffiths Island and complete their first migration, Council and Friends Of Griffiths Island are undertaking several actions to help them on their way.

Before taking their first flights, the fledglings practice taking off and landing.

However, they can be affected by light pollution, especially on windy, moonless nights. With limited eyesight, bright white lights from artificial sources like streetlights and outside house lights can disorientate them, causing distractions from natural cues like the moon.

This puts them at risk of landing in unfamiliar places and encountering predators or vehicles.

You can help the fledglings by being involved in the Friends of Griffiths Island community program: ‘Switch off for Shearwaters’ between 10 April - 15 May.

Help by:
● Switching off external house lighting.
● Shielding bright external lights.
● Keeping an eye out for young Shearwaters landing in unusual places, in and around town.
● Ensuring domestic cats are kept indoors at night.
● Join FOGI and help as a volunteer.

Council will switch off the light in the rotunda at the entrance to Griffiths Island, and will also conduct fox control measures to assist the Shearwater colony. More details on this will follow soon.

Friends of Griffiths Island will launch their 'Switch Off For Shearwaters' program on Saturday 13 April, 11:30am-12:00 noon at Port Fairy Community House. This will include a smoking ceremony by Eastern Maar. All are welcome.

You've done it again Torquay & Surf Coast! What an awesome turn out last Saturday!

This article in today's Surf Coast Times "... well resourced companies were unable to put together an Environment Plan that was up to standard". It is impossible to put together an Environment Plan that is acceptable because it is not possible to mitigate impacts on protected endangered species and numerous marine species.

Take action here https://www.benandjerry.com.au/surfrider

Good to introduce Klarite the Southern Right Whale to Dan Tehan the other day on our way to Parliament. Like most of us, Dan is surprised at the scale of proposed seismic activities along our coastline and keen to find a way to help reduce the impact of seismic on our marine ecosystems.

We are hoping to see as many people (and politicians!) as possible at the Torquay paddle out TOMORROW 12PM!

Time to ask our leaders why they are not standing up to ALL the threats to our Southern Ocean and whale nursery!!

We're hearing lots of noise about the impacts windfarms will have on our already threatened whales and vital ocean ecosystems, and absolute SILENCE on the no less and potentially way more destructive practice of seismic blasting! Where is the logic or genuine concern for the ocean in this?

We are lucky to have such staunch local councillors leading the way for us, but it's time for our local politicians to let us know where they stand as well!!

Message one today and let them know you need leaders who will actually commit to protecting our ocean from any senseless industrialisation 🌊

Labor cannot be trusted to protect our precious marine environment with offshore wind farms. Read my media release from last Friday below 👇

The Seismic Blasting companies "say its not that harmful …. but you can’t go skin diving within six kilometers of it whilst they’re blasting”. WHY? “because they might blow your ears out and your brains out!”

Find out more about Seismic Blasting and how the permits are handed out here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tR4tOTpYDYY

And you can stand up against this environmental destruction at our Paddle Out, 23rd March at Cosy Corner, Torquay, arrive 11.30 for 12 noon start. Paddle out or support from the beach!

Thanks to We Are Explorers, we hear you'll be at the paddle out?

Exposing the Great Ocean Road's Seismic Secret | Act Local Cam’s parked up in Apollo Bay, turned down the town’s famed scallop pie and jumped on local fisherman Trev’s boat to chat with grassroots activist Lisa Deppl...

Hmmm....

The powerful advocacy of Western Victoria's coastal communities has compelled Federal Labor MP Libby Coker to write to NOPSEMA regarding a plan for TGS/SLB-Schlumberger to undertake seismic blasting in the Otway Basin. Ms Coker has asked for more community consultation before they proceed. But we don't actually need more consultation. Communities want to see an end to seismic blasting and oil and gas exploration in our coastal waters.

Victorian and Federal Labor continue to support the expansion of offshore fossil fuel projects in a climate crisis. This is madness, and it has to stop. Communities won't stop fighting, and The Greens won't stop fighting, until we see an end to offshore oil and gas.

Places as beautiful and wild as the Southern Sea should be kept free from oil & gas drills. Despite it being one of the most wild and pristine oceans in the world - the Southern Sea is facing the largest seismic blasting proposal in history.

The Southern Sea doesn’t have to become a gas field - we all have a role to play in protecting this place. If you have already sent a message to your MP, have you ever thought about making sure your money isn’t funding destructive projects like this? Actions including signing up with an ethical super fund like Australian Ethical make a huge difference by drying up the finance that funds seismic blasting and offshore drilling.

Find out more about making sure your money is being used to make a positive difference at https://www.australianethical.com.au/save-the-southern-sea/

Protect the Ocean - Patagonia Australia Call on the Australian government to permanently protect 30% of Australia’s oceans by 2030 and prioritise First Nations custodianship of Sea Country. Learn More.

Upcoming Nov 21st workshop at Deakin!

For anyone feeling inspired to ramp up the pushback of seismic blasting in our southern ocean, this workshop is for you!!

Facilitated by phd candidate and Breakwater Protest speaker, Zoe Brittain. You will learn how to:

- craft an effective message against seismic testing
- build confidence in communicating that message
- have a productive discussion with firm but fair communication
- Build solidarity with other causes and community members
- Speak to elected officials

Check out our link in bio for more info and to register!
🌊🌊