Buru Energy and Noonkanbah’s Aboriginal community have reached an agreement to allow hydraulic fracturing on the station.
“In providing this support, the Noonkanbah Community has demanded that utmost care and respect be taken of our Country,” chairperson Caroline Mulligan said.
“We have been very thorough in our assessment of this project; we have appointed independent experts to provide us with technical advice; their advice is that this project will have very low risk to Country.
“We have accepted their advice.”
You can read a joint media release here:
Joint Media Release
25 June, 2014
Noonkanbah supports Buru Energy tight gas exploration program
The Yungngora Community at Noonkanbah Station have announced their support for Buru Energy to conduct testing for tight gas at a Company exploration well located on their Traditional Owner land using the process of fraccing. The half-million-acre pastoral station is located approximately 320km east of Broome.
The well forms part of Buru Energy’s Laurel Formation Tight Gas Pilot Exploration Program which was given full approval by the Department of Mines and Petroleum on 20 June 2014.
In reaching the decision, independent scientific specialists appointed by the Community assessed the full Environment Plan for the tight gas exploration program and prepared reports with recommendations for the Community to consider. The Community provided their support in principle at a formal meeting yesterday (24 June, 2014) at Yungngora Community.
Yungngora Community Association chairperson Ms Caroline Mulligan said the support recognised the community’s strong connections with the land and the process adopted by Buru Energy showed respect for the land, the people and their cultural values.
“In providing this support, the Noonkanbah Community has demanded that utmost care and respect be taken of our Country,” said Ms Mulligan at the event.
“We have been very thorough in our assessment of this project; we have appointed independent experts to provide us with technical advice; their advice is that this project will have very low risk to Country. We have accepted their advice.
“A formal decision will be prepared by the lawyer for the group, Munro Doig, and this will then formalise the arrangements. As the project progresses, we will be very careful to make sure that our Country remains protected by independently assessing every step in the process.
“In the short term, our steering committee will review the results from the initial pilot program and then advise us of the next steps.
“This program has the potential to further strengthen our community for now and future generations by providing employment and training opportunities,” Ms Mulligan said
Chairperson of the Yungngora Aboriginal Corporation registered native title body corporate, Mr Dickey Cox, which holds native title on behalf of the Yungngora People at Noonkanbah, said that the decision demonstrates how community engagement can lead to successful outcomes for both native title holders as well as resource developers.
“Buru Energy has engaged with YAC since 2007, when their predecessor, Arc Energy, first entered into a heritage agreement with us,” Mr Cox said.
“Since then heritage surveys, monitoring, and now independent expert reports, have ensured that at every step of the way Noonkanbah has been kept informed of what is a significant program both for Buru Energy, as well as potentially for the Noonkanbah People.
“We look forward to a positive and continuing relationship with Buru Energy,” Mr Cox said.
Buru Energy Managing Director Dr Keiran Wulff said the Company was pleased that the Noonkanbah Community had provided support for the pilot program and every precaution and measure would be taken to ensure respect of Country, culture and people.
“This is a landmark decision that provides real potential economic benefits to the Noonkanbah Community while at the same time ensuring protection of their Country,” Dr Wulff said.
“Employment opportunities have already been provided for the Community including environmental science training through a structured cadet program, as well as employment through subcontracting such as earthworks, fencing, site remediation, on-site cleaning and cooking, monitoring, and security.
“These employment opportunities are just the tip of the iceberg for community benefits if the tight gas resource in the Canning Basin can be proven to be commercially viable.
“By developing this resource, there is a great potential opportunity here to provide a bright economic future for local communities.
“We look forward to working closely with the Noonkanbah Community as we progress with our project,” Dr Wulff said.