Media release: AFP investigating Madeleine King office vandalism by anonymous anti-Woodside vigilante opposing largest new fossil fuel project in Southern Hemisphere
Thursday 21 March 2024 6.00am AWST - Perth
Good morning,
The Australian Federal Police are reportedly investigating after the office of Federal Resources Minister Madeleine King was vandalised on Tuesday by an anonymous activist protesting Ms King’s attempts to weaken environmental regulations and fast-track new offshore gas approvals, including the massive Browse gas field at Woodside’s Burrup Hub.
The developments comes as new research released today shows that Woodside’s Burrup Hub is the largest new fossil fuel project in the Southern Hemisphere, set to generate more than 13 times Australia’s entire annual emissions over its lifetime until 2070.
Unreleased photos of the protest taken anonymously on Tuesday night have emerged (attached), showing a mural of marine life including fish and a seal on the wall of Ms King’s office graffitied with the message “Madeline (sic) - Don’t let Woodside make Earth into Uranus” directly under a sign reading “Madeleine King MP - Member for Brand”.
The independent protest comes after Disrupt Burrup Hub activists staged a peaceful sit-in inside Ms King’s office last Friday, urging the federal resources minister to oppose Woodside’s Browse Gas expansion of the Burrup Hub, occupying the publicly accessible foyer for an hour until police arrived after the Minister rejected requests for a meeting.
That protest came less than 24 hours after a Senate inquiry hearing last Thursday into the Albanese Government’s proposed amendment to offshore approval legislation, a key provision of which is to shift oversight of offshore gas projects from the federal Environment Minister to the Resources Minister.
In a statement released on Wednesday evening, the anonymous climate activist said:
“I’m proud of my message to our Federal Resources Minister Madeline King and I ask her what’s more important: a mural of a seal or the survival of the actual beautiful animal?
The survival of animals and indeed the human race hangs in the balance with 1.5 degrees of warming in the world so far and with approvals of 6 billion tonnes of gas being pushed by the mad King, 13 times Australia’s annual emissions, the world will be on fire and for what? For a few very greedy rich people to make a few more dollars on a dying planet.
If Australia charged royalties on gas the same as Qatar we would make $96 billion a year which could fund a renewable transition, but instead we subsidise the gas industry and only make a pittance while we suffer bushfires and floods. It’s a disgrace, and if politicians love their children they must stop it!”
A Disrupt Burrup Hub spokesperson said on Thursday morning:
“May a thousand flowers bloom. Across the country, communities are taking up the Disrupt Burrup Hub mantle, using spray cans to send a message about the damage Woodside’s Browse gas poses to our future. It’s a chaotic example of community law enforcement when existing laws and our elected representatives fail to stop Woodside’s Burrup Hub, the largest new fossil fuel project in the Southern Hemisphere.”
Madeleine King's recent actions are a significant power grab, aiming to control the environmental approvals process in Australia and potentially eliminating critical oversight for offshore projects. Despite clear warnings from the International Energy Agency against new coal, gas, or oil ventures to curb escalating temperatures, Australia appears to be turning a blind eye to established global scientific consensus on climate change. Disrupt Burrup Hub will continue to block Browse at every turn until state and federal governments understand that Woodside’s Burrup Hub is not going ahead.”
ENDS
