Media Release, Friday 21 June 2002

Hundreds �Splash� for Ningaloo

Over 700 people paid to attend the �The Big Splash� fundraiser last night at Little Creatures Bar and Brewery to support the Save Ningaloo Campaign. Many people had to be turned away because the event was sold out.

The lively evening featured music and performances, including a death-defying trapeze act high above the bar, without a net. A lot of art was sold to support the Campaign, including work by well-known artists, Roger Swainston, Leon Pericles, Bruce Malloch, Murray Gill and many others.

Paul Gamblin, Save Ningaloo Campaign spokesperson, said, �The �Big Splash at Little Creatures� was a huge success. The support for the Campaign is growing exponentially and every event is sold out or standing-room-only. People who attend these events always express their passion for this issue and last night they cheered at any mention of Ningaloo. The collective determination to see this issue through was palpable.�

�The community clearly understands that the marina proposal is wrong for Ningaloo. It fails to meet community standards on environmental, social and economic grounds � so it is completely at odds with sustainability. Eco-tourism, based on developments that look after the environment, is clearly the way to go up there. All the tourism trends point that way.�

This week�s event coincided with the much-awaited release of Alannah MacTiernan�s Ministerial Taskforce report on reforms for the coastal planning system. The proposal to build a large marina resort at Ningaloo was presented to the Taskforce as a major case study to highlight serious flaws in the planning system.

�The community so enthusiastically supports the Campaign because people realise that the marina proposal only ever saw the light of day because the planning system is broken. The days of Ministers promoting developments before proper planning is done, and real consultation undertaken, should long be over,� Mr Gamblin said.

Media Contact: Paul Gamblin, Save Ningaloo campaign spokesperson