A Liberal senator is leading a renewed push to permanently protect the Great Australian Bight from oil and gas exploration by having it listed as a World Heritage Site.

South Australian Senator Andrew McLachlan raised the issue in the Senate, asking the Commonwealth and South Australian governments to urgently look at a World Heritage Listing.

He said this was the only way to permanently protect the area into the future.

There are no active licences for exploration drilling at the moment.

But in 2018 there were six Australian and international oil companies, including Chevron and BP, with interests in the Bight.

However, one by one they pulled out.

Norwegian company Equinor was the last to drop its plans in 2020, after a national protest that rallied surfers and beach-goers to ‘Fight for the Bight’.

The groundswell of action was triggered when Equinor’s own environmental mapping of a possible oil spill went viral.

The modelling showed southern Australia all the way to Bondi Beach could be affected by an oil spill.

But Mr McLachlan said there was always potential for another company to look at drilling operations.

Mr McLachlan had previously opposed a similar motion by the Greens in 2020 after Equinor pulled out of exploration drilling in the area.

He said he didn’t support that motion because he disagreed with a clause for a nationwide ban on all new offshore oil and gas projects and he wanted South Australian government support for the bid.

“I have listened to and consulted with the community, and now believe that World Heritage listing for the Great Australian Bight is the way forward,” Mr McLachlan said.

He visited the Eyre Peninsula region with Surfers for Climate chief executive Josh Kirkman two months ago, meeting with people at Port Lincoln, Streaky Bay and Elliston who had protested against the Equinor-proposed drilling.

Economic benefits

Mr Kirkman said the residents wanted assurance that the area would be permanently protected and they wouldn’t have to keep protesting every time there was a new exploration bid.

Mr McLachlan said there were economic benefits to keeping the Bight pristine.

“I think we need to, as a community, decide that this is one of the most beautiful parts of the planet,” Mr McLachlan said.

The area is already protected as a marine park but Mr McLachlan said a World Heritage listing would provide permanent protection.

“We need extra protection because marine parks are subject to legislative change potentially, although unlikely,” Mr McLachlan said.

He said the next step would be to hold talks with the South Australian and Western Australian governments to gain their support.

Mr Kirkman said Surfers for Climate, Wilderness Society and the Surfrider Foundation had worked with local communities to protect the Bight for more than five years.

Iconic area of Australia

“It gets stressful for communities when they have to keep showing up to fight to protect something that is so pristine like the great Australian Bight,” Mr Kirkman said.

“The World Heritage opportunity is that final ‘Fight for the Bight’ to really secure the place as this iconic area of Australia that will remain untouched for future generations.”

He said the economic benefits would flow for the community through tourism by protecting the area.