SA Senator Alex Antic calls for oil drilling in the Great Australian Bight

SA Senator Alex Antic has revived the controversial Great Australian Bight drilling debate, saying companies should be given “every opportunity” to search for oil.

Companies should be given “every possible opportunity” to drill for oil in the Great Australian Bight, rogue Liberal senator Alex Antic has declared.

Speaking in parliament on Tuesday, Senator Antic urged “green, left activists” to “put down the French champagne, turn off the Tesla and stand up for Aussie jobs”.

“I’m happy to call for drilling in the Great Australian Bight,” he said.

“It should be explored, it should be drilled and it should be used safely for the greater Australian good.”

Senator Antic urged the federal government to encourage companies to launch oil exploration projects in The Bight to make the country more “energy independent”, citing soaring fuel prices of more than $2/L.

“Here in Australia, we are blessed with natural resources – oil, coal, gas, uranium. We have the resources to ensure Australia is less dependent on foreign powers, so why don’t we do it?” the South Australian senator said.

Curtin University researchers study right whales in the Great Australian Bight.

Plans to drill for oil in The Bight, first revealed in August 2018, divided SA. An industry report revealed petroleum development in the area could create more than 1500 local jobs and $1.7bn in state and federal tax revenue each year.

In February 2020, Norwegian company Equinor scrapped its $200m oil drilling plans, saying it was not commercially viable.

It was the second time plans to drill in The Bight, covering 1160km of coastline across WA and SA, were ditched.

“Despite Norwegian company Equinor having sadly been forced to pull out of drilling in the Great Australian Bight, there will be others who will seek to do so,” Senator Antic said.

SA Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young said South Australians felt “strongly” that The Bight should not be turned into an “oilfield”.

“This call from Senator Antic shows how out of touch members of the (Coalition) really are,” Ms Hanson-Young said.

“After delivering nothing in this week’s budget for South Australia, they now want to trash our environment for a quick buck for fossil fuel companies.”

Premier Peter Malinauskas would not buy into the debate, despite declaring SA should be “ruthless” in pursuing the state’s natural resources on Tuesday.

“We’re not pursuing any opportunities to drill in the Great Australian Bight,” a spokeswoman said.

Senator Antic has been withholding his votes on government legislation in protest of vaccination mandates.

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