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Wake up call for Whyalla
The Save Point Lowly group says the on-going Santos oil leak at Point Lowly is a wake up call for Whyalla.
Save Point Lowly group project officer, Tom Cheesman said, “The Mining Tax debate has shown that Whyalla needs options other than just minin
g and industry. For decades Whyalla has been at the mercy of commodity prices, currency, stock markets, tax changes and the boom/bust cycle. When is the city going to wake up to the need to diversify?”
Some like Mayor Pollock have said the Mining tax will make Whyalla a ‘Ghost-Town’ even though the full details are not yet known.
Mr Cheesman said, “It is an unfortunate irony that those such as the Mayor, the State and Federal representative who are going to Canberra to discuss the Mining Tax asking for a special exemption, are the same people that have done little to diversify Whyalla’s jobs base.”
Environmental Impact of Diesel storage questioned
The Save Point Lowly group (SPL group) questioned the appropriateness of the approval of the Stuart Petroleum Diesel Storage facility on the Point Lowly Peninsula in January 2010.
Tom Cheesman said, “The State Government saved Stuart Petroleum millions of dollars by not compelling them to conduct a thorough Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), so we know that risks of an oil leak in the Upper Spencer Gulf have not be properly evaluated.”
The SPL group says that whilst the Rann Labor Government says ‘the strictest conditions have been put in place’ there is no way to prevent an oil spill or clean it up effectively.
“If we look at the string of recent spills, crashes and leaks it becomes clear that the technology to respond to these disasters is ineffective and the existing legislation is toothless.”
A Deepwater Disaster on Spencer Gulf’s Horizon?
The Save Point Lowly group has met the Federal Governments recent announcement of deep-water exploration at the mouth of Spencer Gulf with much concern. Federal Resources Minister, Martin Ferguson announced on Monday 17 May 2010 that exploration areas will be auctioned off just south of Port Lincoln, right in the middle of the Tuna fishing area and a proposed marine sanctuary.
The Save Point Lowly group say the Spencer Gulf is South Australia’s one of greatest natural assets. Yet regrettably, both Federal and 
State Labor Government seem determined to put oil-royalties ahead of the fishing, tourism and recreation industries. This Federal exploration area comes on the heels of the State Governments approval to give Stuart Petroleum the go ahead to build a diesel storage and oil refinery on the Point Lowly Peninsula in January.
Build industry away from Tourism hotspots
Save Point Lowly group angrily rejected Member for Grey, Rowan Ramsey’s assertion that we should ‘build tourism around our industry’ saying get has got the concept completely backwards.
Group spokesperson Tom Cheesman said, “To suggest the natural environment must make way for industry, that we can build tourism around our industry is the total reverse of what is the best way forward. It is our natural assets that need to be protected and industry must be located away from our tourist hotspots.”
Tom said, “The Cuttlefish, Snapper, Whiting and Prawns, etc made Point Lowly their breeding grounds thousands of years ago. South Australia has 4,000 kilometres of coastline and many miles of marginal farmland. Industry has local alternative locations; but the Cuttlefish and our delicate marine ecosystem only have one home and that is Point Lowly.”