Protesters are concerned plans for seismic testing near a whale nursery during calving season are moving forward quickly despite widespread community opposition.
Geoscience technology services company CGG formally submitted its permit application and environmental plan in late January amid a month-long campaign of community protests against seismic surveying in the Otway Basin.
The Regia 3D Marine Seismic Survey (MSS) proposal area spans Victoria's south-west coast from near Portland to Port Campbell, with operations running parallel to Warrnambool's famous Logan's Beach Whale Nursery.
Fight for the Bight Port Fairy spokesperson Ben Druitt helped organise a rally that saw hundreds of people gather to protest the project in July last year.
But Mr Druitt said he was not surprised to see the proposal formally lodged.
"We'd never expect the proposal to be pulled, it's a forgone conclusion it'll be submitted to the regulator … and it's a forgone conclusion at some point it'll be accepted," he said.
Mr Druitt said the focus now was "dissecting" the more than 3,000-page environmental plan to "push back" on the proposed mitigation strategies.
"The proponent will always claim that they can provide protection for the environment. A lot of these claims are bogus," he said.
"It's really our job at the moment to highlight all the areas that questionable science is being used … so that the regulator can reject this version of the environmental plan and send the proponent back to the drawing board."
What is seismic testing?
Seismic testing, also known as seismic blasting, is a method of oil and gas exploration that involves penetrating the seabed with loud sounds via an air gun.
Soundwaves are then analysed to form a picture of what lies beneath.
CGG applied to conduct the exploration to search for petroleum resources under a Special Prospecting Authority (SPA) permit.
The permit allows 180 days of seismic surveying but does not permit any drilling.
The ABC understands the project is one of at least five oil and gas-associated works currently proposed or approved for the Otway Basin.
Community action
The application was submitted just days before the month-long Great Ocean Rescue tour wrapped up in January — a campaign by activist group Otway Coastal Environmental Action Network involving rallies and protests in towns along the Great Ocean Road.
In a statement, Australian Marine Conservation Society campaign manager Louise Morris called the proposal a "slap in the face".
"We have been calling on the federal government to abolish these cowboy permits and over the past four weeks of community action thousands of people have signed our postcards and [participated in] online action for the federal government to abolish SPA permits once and for all," the statement read.
A number of local councils have stated their opposition to seismic testing in the Otway Basin including Colac Otway Shire Council, Moyne Shire Council, and Warrnambool City Council.
And in 2022 the federal member for Kooyong Dr Monique Ryan submitted a petition with more than 2,600 signatures opposing all seismic testing off Australia's coast to the federal government.
Industry response
Project environment manager Matthew Smith said conservation management plans require CGG to implement protection protocols for marine life, including southern right whales.
He said the proposal area "looks like a big area but our vessel is moving around", and surveys will be planned to avoid biologically important areas when whales are calving.
"We'll survey closer to their area when they're not there and move away. If the season is reversed and they're leaving then we do the furthest part away first and come in closer when they're not there," Mr Smith said.
Mr Smith said other protection strategies include:
- aerial surveys
- marine mammal observers on vessels
- buffer zones around reproductive biologically important areas, and
- technology to detect the animals in the water.
"If we a see a southern right whale within the area that we've defined as being beyond which they're safe we shut down operations. We move away and we stop emitting sound," Mr Smith said.
Despite Australia's carbon emissions goal of net zero by 2050, Mr Smith said "gas is going to be a critical transition fuel for many, many decades to come."
The proposal is currently open for comment until February 26.
Mr Smith said CGG encourages people to put forward claims that can help manage the environmental risk.