Protests against oil drilling in Great Australian Bight as petrol companies head to Adelaide for 2018 national conference

PETROL companies have descended on Adelaide for a major conference, but environmental activists — and Kangaroo Island’s mayor — have taken their protest to an oil company’s Norweigan HQ.

Kokatha First Nations Elder Sue Coleman-Haseldine at the headquarters of Statoil in Norway last year, protesting at the company's plan to drill for oil in the Great Australian Bight.

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KANGAROO Island Mayor Peter Clements will today in Norway address the annual general meeting of Statoil, spelling out the concerns of seven local councils over the company’s plans to drill for oil in the Great Australian Bight.

Representatives of communities affected by Norwegian companies have a legal right to speak at the company AGM, with Statoil’s to be held today in the North Sea port city of Stavanger.

Meanwhile at the Adelaide Convention Centre the 2018 conference of the Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association will be officially opened today, attracting 2000 delegates to the city.

Writing in today’s edition of The AdvertiserMr Clements said opponents hoped to take advantage of the Norwegian company’s practice of making sure communities were happy with their business practices.

“This is a far cry from the way business is done in Australia,’’ Mr Clements said.

Kangaroo Island Mayor Peter Clements has flown to Norway to protest at the AGM of Statoil.

Statoil holds permits for exploration in the Ceduna Sub Basin about 550km west of Kangaroo Island and 400km offshore of Ceduna.

Other licencse in the Bight owned by other operators come within 95km west of Kangaroo Island and 50km south of the tip of Eyre Peninsula.

Last month the federal National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority ruled it was not yet satisfied that seismic testing plans within the Duntroon Basin, which are not owned by Statoil but are among the closest to KI, were safe for the environment and proposals would have to be resubmitted.

Mr Clements’ trip has been funded by The Wilderness Society. Protesters organised by Greenpeace also will gather outside the APPEA conference today, including Alexandrina Mayor Keith Parkes and Kokatha First Nations elder Sue Haseldine.

APPEA director for South Australia Matthew Doman said testing in The Bight for oil and gas would only proceed with the highest environmental safety standards.

“The benefits of successful exploration will be significant for South Australia, and the industry accepts and will respond to the questions and concerns of the community,’’ he said. “It would only go ahead after rigorous approval and community consultation.’’

Port Lincoln Mayor Bruce Green said his council was one which supported the ongoing investigation of oil and gas reserves, but with caution. He said there were 10 local councils on Eyre Peninsula alone, and only one had taken a vote to oppose exploration.

“Our motion when this began effectively says we look forward to the commercial activity that might be created, we are concerned about the impact on aquaculture and fishing, but that we recognise we are not the experts to approve or not approve the activity,’’ Mayor Green said.

Kangaroo Island, Yorke Peninsula, Victor Harbor, Alexandrina, Holdfast Bay, Yankalilla and Elliston oppose drilling in The Bight.