Protesters paddle out to sea at Brighton beach to protest against oil drilling in Great Australian Bight

Hundreds of protesters suffered for their cause on Sunday, paddling into the chilly waters of Gulf St Vincent in opposition to oil drilling in the Great Australian Bight.

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Hundreds of protesters suffered for their cause on Sunday, paddling into the chilly waters of Gulf St Vincent to oppose oil drilling in the Great Australian Bight.

The Liberal and Labor parties have refused to declare a position on the plan by Norwegian giant Equinor to drill for oil 476km west of Port Lincoln, but Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young told protesters she was determined to make drilling a Federal Election issue.

“This campaign is growing and growing, but we have to stop this project in Canberra and in the parliament,’’ she said.

“Labor and Liberal are not prepared to do what is needed but this is a big election issue in this state.’’

Crowds at Brighton paddle out to sea to protest the drilling for oil in the Great Australian Bight. Picture; AAP/Emma Brasier.

The drilling proposal is undergoing independent assessment by the National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority and Labor and Liberal insist they will not interfere in this process. Drilling of the proposed Stromlo-1 well will begin in the summer of 2020/21 if it receives all necessary regulatory approval. Chanting “fight for The Bight” in blustery 18C conditions at Brighton, and shadowed by a curious seal, paddling protesters surrounded and capsized a mock oil rig to simulate their worst fears – a sea-bed leak at more than 2000m depth at the drilling site, which they say would have catastrophic results for the sensitive region.

Mermaids Jade, Nicola, Alyssa and Carrie participate in the protest at Brighton beach. Picture: AAP/Emma Brasier

But Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association spokesman Matthew Doman rejected the day’s protest action.

“Stunts such as (Sunday’s) protests, and the false and exaggerated claims made, do nothing to inform public debate,’’ he said.

The protest mirrored those which have attracted thousands in beach communities throughout Australia in the last two months, and aimed to seek assurances from the major parties about the future of the sensitive region.

Protesters on the sand at Brighton beach hold signs opposing oil drilling in the Great Australian Bight. Picture: AAP / Emma Brasier

One major party politician to make a stand against drilling is Labor’s member for Mawson Leon Bignell, who will fly out to Norway today, where he will personally deliver the complaints of constituents to the nation’s Minister for Petroleum.

Equinor is 60 per cent owned by the government and the company has been receptive to approaches from the green movement.

Wilderness Society South Australia director Peter Owen said opponents were also hopeful the Norwegian Government would intervene and ban Equinor drilling in The Bight, as it had in sensitive coastal areas of its own country.