Ningaloo Reef is a long stretch of coral gardens and clear, turquoise waters that are home to whale sharks, manta rays, dugongs, sea turtles, reef fish and sensitive corals. It is Australia’s second largest reef and is listed as a protected World Heritage Area and marine sanctuary.
Located 1,200 kms north of Perth along the Coral Coast, 240km-long Ningaloo Reef extends right off the white sandy beaches and limestone shores of Cape Range peninsular near Exmouth in Western Australia.
Right now, oil and gas giant Woodside plan to dump a 2,529-tonne structure containing toxic waste next to the protected Ningaloo World Heritage Area, placing the corals and rich marine ecosystem at risk.
With 500 tropical fish species and 300 coral species, one of the world’s largest whale shark aggregations, plus a significant birthing ground for humpback whales — Ningaloo Reef is a biodiverse marine sanctuary and an important refuge for ensuring vulnerable marine species are protected.
Ningaloo Reef is not dying. Compared to other reefs, Ningaloo is in good condition — but this could all change in the face of climate change, pollution from the oil and gas industry including the dumping of toxic waste by Woodside, and other proposed industrial developments.
Oil and gas giant Woodside plans to dump 2,529-tonnes of steel and plastic mooring next to Ningaloo, which could cause irreversible damage to this precious ecosystem, and may also cause Australia to be in breach of international law.
The mooring contains plastic and manganese, a toxic, soluble heavy metal that will eventually be discharged into the sensitive marine environment around Ningaloo Reef.
Our investigations unit is revealing Woodside’s lack of care for this unique and important ecosystem. We are working with other conservation and community groups to demand that Woodside’s permit application to Environment Minister Sussan Ley to dump toxic waste next to Ningaloo Reef be rejected.
Australia has been a global leader on ocean protection. It’s something Australians are proud of. We wouldn’t accept this at the Great Barrier Reef, or our local beach, we can’t allow it at Ningaloo.
Woodside wants to dump a 2,529-tonne piece of its oil rig next to Ningaloo. They want to simply dump their rubbish and walk away.
If they are allowed to get away with it, it opens the way for other oil and gas companies to do the same, wreaking devastation on ocean habitats around Australia, littering them with toxic waste.
Your support makes such a powerful difference, and we urgently need your help to stop this atrocity and stop toxic oil and gas waste from being dumped all around Australia.
Will you please donate to our Ningaloo Appeal today? If Woodside is allowed to dump their toxic waste, we'll lose more than Ningaloo.
Header image: Leith Holtzman