Southern Blast Film Screening

Event Details

Geelong Sustainability is supporting the Save the Southern Sea campaign which targets one of the largest seismic blasting proposals in the world with 4.5 million hectares currently under threat. The proposed blasting area extends from the South Australian/Victorian border to Tasmania.

Join us to watch Southern Blast, a 40 minute film developed by Surfrider Foundation, capturing the wildness of the Southern Ocean and those who share a deep and integral connection with it. The film uplifts and inspires, leaving audiences with a message: this area is worth protecting, and we all have a role to play in helping to protect it from oil and gas exploration. The film will be followed by guest speaker, Darren Noyes-Brown, from the Surf Coast Surfrider branch, one of the organisations leading the way in the campaign, to share with you any updates, inspire you and share how you can make a difference locally.

Darren Noyes-Brown
Surfrider Foundation Surf Coast Branch – Guest Speaker

Darren Noyes-Brown is a long time campaigner and advocate on a range of environmental and social issues. His love of surfing led him to want to protect the coastal environment he gets so much enjoyment from, so he got involved with Surfrider Foundation in 1997. He has been actively involved with the Surf Coast branch of Surfrider Foundation for 26 years, is a past president and is currently the secretary. Darren is also a founding member and secretary of the Greater Torquay Alliance which is a network of ten community groups that have joined forces to have a stronger voice against the overdevelopment of the Torquay area. Darren represents the Greater Torquay Alliance on the Great Ocean Road Communities Network.

Darren has worked on a number of campaigns including advocacy for the Point Addis Marine National Park and Sanctuaries on the Surf Coast, raising awareness about beach litter, marine debris and microplastics and numerous over-development proposals in Torquay including saving the Spring Creek valley from urbanisation. Darren will speak about the Save the Southern Seas campaign, where the project is at, and how you can be involved.

More about the Southern Seas Campaign: 

The Southern Seas are at threat with multinational companies TGS and Schlumberger who have applied to seismic blast the area for 400 days. This damage endangers unique and globally significant areas, including the 12 Apostles, the Great Southern Reef and numerous marine protected areas (including two Commonwealth Marine Parks and protected whale sanctuaries). 

These proposals threaten the coastline, marine life, culturally significant areas and the climate.

What is Seismic Blasting? 

Seismic blasting is the first step in offshore oil and gas exploration. The process involves ships, equipped with air guns, emitting deafening blasts of sound into the ocean. These blasts reach 250 decibels–louder than an atomic bomb! For context, seismic blasts are 1 million times louder than a whale call. These blasts occur:

• Every 10 seconds
• 24 hours a day
• Up to 400 days at a time

Why is this problematic?

Seismic blasts displace, injure and kill marine life. The blasts kill zooplankton and krill over a kilometre away and damage the sensory organs of marine animals, especially whales and dolphins who rely on hearing for survival. 

Once an area has been blasted, the next step is drilling for gas. Additional emissions originating from new gas fields will intensify climate change. Seismic blasting and the expansion of the fossil fuel industry pose an unacceptable risk to our environment and are incompatible with a liveable future. 

Find out more about the campaign and sign the petition or write to your MP with the help of the Surfrider Foundation: https://www.surfrider.org.au/campaigns/save-the-southern-sea/

Event timetable: 

6.30 – 6.40pm – Acknowledgement of Country
6.40 – 7.20pm – Movie showing
7.20 – 7.35 pm – Presentation and update on campaign
7.35 – 8.00pm – Q&A
8.00pm – Conclusion