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Not to sure if this is a good idea.
Well it's still only a consideration at present.
Margaret River faces oil search
The West Australian ©
April 12, 2010, 2:15 am
The Federal Government is considering allowing companies to drill for oil in a section of ocean off the Margaret River coast which has been earmarked for inclusion in a planned marine sanctuary.
The region, less than 100km off the coast, has been short-listed in this year's round of Offshore Petroleum Acreage Releases. It has also been identified by the Department of Environment as an area needing further assessment because of its high biological diversity, rich stocks of fish, sharks and dolphins and pristine ocean environment.
Resources Minister Martin Ferguson is expected to announce next month whether the area will be released to oil companies for exploration and possible development.
A decision on a proposed marine reserve covering much of the same area is expected later this year.
Conservationists yesterday expressed alarm at the proposal and called for a moratorium on any decision to allow exploration in the area at least until after a decision on the reserve was finalised.
Conservation Council marine spokesman Tim Nicol said the Department of Resources and the oil industry would be "jumping the gun" if the release proceeded before any decision on the marine sanctuary.
"The environmental risks associated with oil exploration are very real, as has been demonstrated recently by the Montara oil spill. If a spill this size was to happen in the South-West there could be oil on the beaches from Perth to Margaret River," Mr Nicol said.
Local conservationist Steve Andrews said people living in Margaret River did not want to "surf the slick". "The ocean to us is sacred. We surf, fish, swim, boat and dive in these waters. The tourism industry depends largely on the health of the marine environment. We are known worldwide for our pristine beaches and clear waters," Mr Andrews said.
A spokesman for Environment Minister Peter Garrett said that in designing the network of marine protected areas, the Government would take account of the potential impact on oil and gas development.
It seems that the WA government have a long list of things that are awesome and they're slowly ticking them off one by one as they completely screw them up in exchange for a few fast dollars...
so sad 
after the debacle of the oil well drilled on the north west coast leaking oil into the ocean I think its a bad idea.
the ocean water in the margaret river area is pristine. the govt dont really care about that though, they are total dicks.
is it federal or state that are approving it?
It's the FEDS and I hope they exclude the useless plicks that stuffed up the Montana well and are fighting tooth and nail to stop the authorities from getting all the info regarding their stupidity.
From memory I think it's a Thai outfit of cowboys called something like PPTE ??? or something similar. Third world practices in a world class environment.
The b__stards should have all permits revoked for sheer stupidity reasons.
It will happen. Have a at look at the whats around exmouth, im on a production platform now and i can see 3 more, and two rigs drillng new wells. Just because there is exploration does not mean it is viable to extract it from the ground.
I wouldn't like to see exploration relatively close to MR but MR is TOTALLY overrated and has been for a l o n g time.
Greed and property has absolutely fkd MR and Dunsborough (even worse in DB).
20 yrs ago MR was beautiful. Now it's full of wannabe Euro trash cafenistas and w@nkers who happily pay for the overpriced and overated vino, cafe darling food and snooty aloof service. 
I feel sorry for the locals who wanted a quieter peaceful life. Oh well there is always Coweramup etc.
This has got the go ahead now.
I'll start praying now that we don't have a catastrophe.
Oil exploration off SW approved
JANE HAMMOND
May 17, 2010, 2:20 pm
UPDATE: Federal Resources Minister Martin Ferguson has opened the way to oil and gas exploration off the south-west of WA in an area currently being considered for protection by Environment Minister Peter Garrett.
The area, known as the Mentelle Basin, covers more than 13,000 sqkm of ocean off Margaret River and was being assessed for inclusion in a marine sanctuary because of its unique qualities, pristine environment and rich biodiversity of marine life.
The decision has angered conservationists who say it pre-empts the outcome of the marine sanctuary assessment process and should have been put off until after the Montara Commission of Inquiry is finalised.
A coalition of conservation groups, including the Conservation Council of WA and the Pew Environment Group, said Mr Ferguson's decision placed unique marine life at risk less than 90km offshore from Margaret River.
Mr Ferguson said there had been calls for a moratorium on releasing new areas for exploration in the aftermath of a series of oil related disasters, including those in the Gulf of Mexico and the Montara disaster off the Kimberley coast, but "shutting down the industry" was not an option.
He said the Mentelle Basin offered one of the most promising areas for new oil discovery.
But conservation groups have condemned the Federal Government decision to allow oil and gas exploration off the coast of one of Australia’s best-known tourism and environmental regions. Margaret River is internationally renowned for its surfing, tourism and wine industries.
Michelle Grady from Pew Environment Group and Save Our Marine Life alliance said important feeding grounds would now be placed at risk of any oil spill or other pollution.
"The actions of the Federal Resources Minister stand in stark contrast to those of the President Obama, who put a freeze on all new oil and gas approvals off the United States within days of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill," Ms Grady said.
"The Minister has jumped the gun on critical protection of the marine environment."
Tim Nicol from Save Our Marine Life said less than one per cent of the south-west marine region has any protection in place, despite there being a higher level of unique marine life found there than on the Great Barrier Reef.
"A groundswell of community concern, including 2000 letters to the Federal Resources Minister, is growing in the local communities that may lose the opportunity of marine sanctuaries and gain instead the risk of oil spills," Dr Nicol said.
Dr Nicol said that over the past 18 months, 76 oil and gas approvals had been made in Australian waters while no marine reserves had been declared.
Almost 20 per cent of WA’s marine environment was already tied up in oil and gas leases, while less than one per cent was protected, he said.
World Wildlife Fund WA director Paul Gamblin said it beggared belief the Federal Government was opening new oil and gas leases while the Montara oil spill was still being investigated.
“We still don’t know exactly what went wrong,” Mr Gamblin said.
“To release all this new acreage post-Montara, and while there’s still a massive oil spill happening in the Gulf of Mexico, is premature.
“Until you know otherwise, you have to assume that could happen anywhere.”
Mr Gamblin said any oil spill in the southwest would not only devastate the environment, but destroy tourism, fishing and other local industry.
“The Margaret River region is a very special place,” he said.
“It has not only environmental values, but strong community values as well.
“This news will be of great concern to many people across WA and beyond.”
A spokesman for Mr Ferguson said the Margaret River coastal area would still be evaluated as a marine reserve by the Federal Environment Department, but within the framework of existing oil and gas leases.
He said there was no conflict between the two.
Last weekend, nearly 300 people voiced their concerns at the proposal to allow exploration in the Mentelle Basin at a protest meeting in Margaret River.
Rather than learning from others mistakes we just have to f#ck everything up:
And this from Bloomberg:
Senators from California, Oregon and Washington introduced legislation to ban oil drilling off the West Coast amid mounting concern about the spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
"We believe that offshore oil drilling is simply not worth the risk," Senator Dianne Feinstein, a Democrat of California, told reporters today in Washington.
The measure would amend the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to impose a permanent ban on drilling off the three states.
Offshore drilling was banned for decades after a 1969 spill about five miles off the Santa Barbara coast soaked California beaches in a 35- mile long oil slick. In July 2008, then-President George W. Bush lifted the presidential moratorium. Congress allowed its own drilling ban to expire three months later.
Not kn wrong about the 'experiance' diver. I am long enough in the toof to remember a really laid back (and inexpensive) experiance that had no pretense, just great waves, bewdiful water, air and a nice vibe.
No better example than Caves house as to the poxy changes. Kickin back with a brew on the lawn (maybe even a spot o' cricket or kickin the footy) and feeling like a millionaire. Boy them were the days.
So sad that now you do have to be one to enjoy the tosser clientelle and tosser service. The lawns that remain are too manicured to risk having any fun on them now.
Sigh.. I am fast becoming a crotchety old p***k who knows what agood thing is but also knows it got turned into a carpark.
Oh well enjoy what's left while you can i guess.
So sad that now you do have to be one to enjoy the tosser clientelle and tosser service. The lawns that remain are too manicured to risk having any fun on them now.
I dunno how they search for oil but if they have some kind of detector that goes off near oil I hope it does not detect just any old oil.... for example hash oil. Down Margies way the damn thing would overheat......
