Hundreds protest against plans to drill in Great Australian Bight

Source: The Guardian

Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young says most South Australians do not want oil drilling in Great Australian Bight

Speaking at a protest against drilling by Norwegian company Equinor, Sarah Hanson-Young says ‘we don’t want oil washing up on our beautiful beaches’. Photograph: Kelly Barnes/AAP

Hundreds of people have gathered on an Adelaide beach to protest against Norwegian energy giant Equinor’s plans to drill in the Great Australian Bight.

Attending the Hands Across the Sand protest, Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young says the majority of South Australians don’t want any oil drilling in the Great Australian Bight.

“We don’t want oil washing up on our beautiful beaches and we know, in an era of climate change, we just can’t afford to be expanding oil drilling or coal mines or any other fossil fuels,” she said on Sunday.

Equinor, who says the Bight “could be one of Australia’s largest untapped oil reserves”, wants to drill a well more than 370km off the coast of South Australia.

Hanson-Young says the potential jobs gained from the proposed project is “not worth the risk”.

“What we know is that the jobs from the fishing and tourism industry would be put at risk if there was an oil spill.”

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