“Fracking has no place in the Kimberley” | Kimberley Land Council Urges WA Government to Reject Valhalla Gas Project

KLC CEO Tyronne Garstone says fracking has no place in the Kimberley.

The Kimberley Land Council (KLC) is gravely concerned by the Environmental Protection Authority’s (EPA) recommendation that the Valhalla Gas Exploration and Appraisal Program may proceed, and urges the Minister for the Environment and the Western Australian Government not to allow the project to go ahead.

The Valhalla Gas Exploration and Appraisal Program would involve drilling and fracking up to 20 exploration and appraisal wells in the Canning Basin.

Fracking is a highly controversial mining practice that involves drilling deep into rock layers and injecting a high-pressure mixture of water, sand and chemicals to fracture rock and extract oil and gas.

KLC CEO Tyronne Garstone said fracking has no place in the Kimberley.

“We are gravely concerned by the EPA’s recommendation for the Valhalla gas project. The WA Government must reject it,” Mr Garstone said.

“Fracking has no place in the Kimberley, and the 2025 WA Labor State Conference has already voted for Western Australia to be 100 per cent frack free.”

Mr Garstone said the vast majority of Kimberley Traditional Owner groups have not endorsed fracking, and that consultation around the Valhalla project has been inadequate.

“Consultation must include all surrounding Traditional Owner groups who may be affected by fracking, not just those in the immediate project area. This has not occurred in relation to the Valhalla project,” he said.

“Fracking continues to raise serious concerns for communities about the long-term protection of Country.”

The proposed Valhalla project site sits alarmingly close to West Kimberley areas already listed for National Heritage and currently under consideration for World Heritage status.

“The Kimberley is home to cultural heritage, biodiversity and landscapes found nowhere else on earth,” Mr Garstone said.

“Giving fracking a green light here would be a reckless gamble with Country, culture and future generations.”

The KLC also raised serious concerns about the regulatory framework governing fracking in Western Australia.

“The regulatory and safety framework for fracking in WA remains incomplete and inadequate,” Mr Garstone said.

“Key recommendations from the 2018 Independent Scientific Panel Inquiry into Fracking in Western Australia, as well as actions in the WA Government’s own implementation plan, have still not been fully implemented.”

Most of Western Australia is already protected from fracking, and the Kimberley should be no different. Through last year’s Ngumpan Statement, the five Kimberley representative bodies called on the State and Federal Governments to reinstate a fracking moratorium until Traditional Owner veto rights and best-practice regulation are in place.

“Fracking is not a viable option for the health of Country or the long-term economic future of the Kimberley and its people,” Mr Garstone said.

“Economic development must move away from emissions-intensive industries like gas and towards sustainable, culturally appropriate opportunities that respect Country and support future generations.”

Mr Garstone said the EPA’s recommendation comes despite the KLC having previously raised serious concerns about the WA Government’s approach to fracking in the Kimberley.

“The Kimberley Land Council has already raised the alarm about the WA Government’s commitments on fracking and the risks they pose to Country and Traditional Owners,” he said.

“This EPA recommendation only reinforces our concerns and underscores the urgent need for the Government to listen to Traditional Owners and reject the Valhalla Gas project.”