Late on Friday afternoon, Santos announced that it was pulling out of oil and gas exploration in the Great Australian Bight—it joined Equinor, BP, Chevron and Karoon Gas in abandoning its plans. 💪🥳

These companies don’t just decide to exit—it is because of the hundreds of thousands of people like you who demonstrate that Australians don’t want new oil and gas exploration. And the International Energy Agency agrees there is no more room for new oil and gas. It has clearly stated that oil and gas exploration needs to cease this year to secure a safe climate.¹

And yet, every year the Federal government releases huge areas of offshore acreage for potential exploration by big oil and gas companies. These areas are chosen at the whim of the petroleum industry, without serious environmental assessment or any real consideration of the views of the communities impacted by these decisions.

The annual acreage release cycle means that each and every year the fossil fuel industry expands into new marine areas. This goes on despite communities across Australia—from the Bight and the Victorian Surf Coast, to Newcastle and Tasmania’s King Island—calling loudly for an end to harmful and risky offshore oil and gas exploration in their marine backyards.

Enough is enough. It’s time for this process to change.

The Wilderness Society’s ongoing, long-term strategy is to push industry and government to make change. Together, we can continue to build and support community opposition to the mindless release of ocean acreage to oil and gas exploration.

Your ongoing support will help:

• Communities have their say. Right now, the Wilderness Society has commissioned a census survey of King Island residents to demonstrate how they feel about seismic blasting for gas exploration off their island.
• Expose the industry’s broken promises to clean up after itself—causing potentially multi-billion dollar liabilities for Australian taxpayers.
• Advocate for a complete rethink of the mindless annual release of new acreage.
• Advocate for permanent protection of the Great Australian Bight.

Will you give a $16 donation every 4 weeks to help demonstrate to the government the widespread community opposition to continual oil and gas expansion in our oceans?

I can’t contribute regularly, but would like to make a single donation.

Thank you for being part of the groundswell of Australians protecting not only the Great Australian Bight from big oil’s risky plans, but all the oceans from the mindless release of more fossil fuel acreage.

For the ocean wilderness,

Peter Owen
Director
Wilderness Society Team, South Australia

Help us to protect Australia's beautiful nature for generations to come.