Top: Swan Valley residents Natalie and Micheal Innes and Anne Gething at the Bullsbrook Stop anti-fracking ute muster. Above: Farmers from across the Swan Valley and Bullsbrook at the muster.
Camera IconTop: Swan Valley residents Natalie and Micheal Innes and Anne Gething at the Bullsbrook Stop anti-fracking ute muster. Above: Farmers from across the Swan Valley and Bullsbrook at the muster. Credit: Supplied/Supplied, Lisa Thomas

Bullsbrook Stop: about 100 show up for anti-fracking ute muster

Lisa ThomasThe Advocate

The muster, which travelled from Bullsbrook through the Swan Valley to Cottesloe, was to highlight the possibility of gas exploration and mining in the region.

Bullsbrook farmer and spokeswoman for the Bullsbrook Gasfield Free group Anne Gething said the fear of fracking in the region was very real.

“The risk of fracking is quite high for Bullsbrook and surrounding areas,” she said. “Right now there is a gas company with a permit to explore for gas in the local area, with Brigadoon, Upper Swan, The Vines and Bullsbrook all at risk, which are not part of the no-go zone set up to protect the Swan Valley.”

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Mrs Gething said there were many environmental concerns for the region, with the natural environment and water resources in the area in jeopardy.

“We are concerned that the unconventional gas industry poses a significant risk to our water resources, including depletion and contamination… especially with the Brockman River running through the exploration area,” she said. “Land-owners’ lifestyles are at risk because if a company decides they want to explore for gas on someone’s property, there are no rights for the landowner to say no.

“We’re farmers and moved into the area for the lifestyle and it makes me angry and unsettled that someone could put our land, health and livelihood at risk and we would have no way to stop it.”

The muster included farmers from the Mid West, who had already been faced with exploration on their properties.

Event organiser Simone van Hattem said farmers from as far north as Geraldton wanted to bring the message to Perth, to show the impact fracking would have on WA produce.

She said the muster was a great success, with a lot of support from locals and people passing by.

“Farmers have been fighting against the risk of fracking for quite some time now, so the whole point of the ute muster was to bring the message to Perth that we need help from everyone to ensure fracking doesn’t go ahead in WA,” she said.