Seismic testing is the first step to drilling in the Great Australian Bight and will have devastating outcomes for SA, the Greens say.

“This is a bad decision - bad for our marine life, bad for Kangaroo Island, and bad for SA. Seismic testing is the first step to drilling in the Bight, and an oil well 90km off Kangaroo Island is a disaster for South Australia,” Greens environment spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.

Labor must decide whether it will stand by environmental protections or roll over to Adani and big oil wanting to drill in the Bight, the Greens say.

“It is dirty fossil fuels or the environment. If Labor is to have a credible environment policy, they need to commit to no new coal, oil and gas, fund environmental protections, stop Adani and protect the Bight,” Greens environment spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.

Australian Greens environment spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young will bring her Private Member’s Bill to ban oil and gas drilling in the Great Australian Bight to the Senate for debate today.

Leaked documents from Equinor’s own oil spill data that show oil could reach Sydney beaches are a wake-up call to all Australians, the Greens say.

“This internal report shows oil and sludge would devastate Australia’s southern coastline, all the way up to Sydney’s beaches. It must be stopped,” Greens environment spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.

“This alarming new data must put to bed any consideration for allowing oil and gas drilling in the Great Australian Bight. It has serious dangers for almost all Australian states.

Calls for mass shark culls by conservative politicians would be an ineffective and irresponsible response to recent attacks in Queensland, according to the Australian Greens.

Queensland Senator Larissa Waters said a calm and sensible approach is needed and welcomed tomorrow’s roundtable on the issue in Airlie Beach.

“Our hearts go out to the families affected by recent shark attacks, but calls for mass shark culls are irresponsible, won’t work, and would not be supported by a majority of Queenslanders,” Senator Waters said.

Port Lincoln Council’s decision is a pivotal moment in the campaign to protect the Great Australian Bight, the Greens say.

“Port Lincoln has sent a clear message this week in support of keeping oil and gas drilling out of the Bight,” Greens environment spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.

“This is another council joining the chorus of community leaders against drilling in the Bight. The Labor and Liberal parties, who have so far failed the growing number of South Australians opposed to drilling in the Bight, are on notice.

The fossil fuels industry is spruiking an economic boon that would benefit them, not South Australians, if oil and gas drilling were to go ahead in the Great Australian Bight, the Australian Greens say.

“The fossil fuels industry wants drilling to go ahead because they are the ones who will profit – these multinational companies are seeking to risk the Great Australian Bight and send the profits offshore,” Greens Senator for South Australia Sarah Hanson-Young said.