Selling our oceans for chump change

News from The Wilderness Society Australia - which turned 50 this year. Find the link at the bottom of this page:

The west coast of Lutruwita / Tasmania adjoins one of the world's most celebrated wild places; the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area.

At the end of 2025, the federal government quietly opened it up to new oil and gas exploration. Here's what's at stake and what we're doing to stop it.

What is the acreage release?

Each year, the federal government runs a quiet process that lets oil and gas companies bid for a part of the ocean to drill in. For as little as $25,000 (loose change for a fossil fuel company!), they can stake a claim on vast stretches of ocean. The latest release opened up 25,000km² of marine waters off the coasts of Victoria and Lutruwita / Tasmania. There was no community consultation, just oceans handed over to fossil fuel expansion.

Why does this happen?

Well… money. It’s pretty absurd that the government is selling our oceans for chump change.

What's at stake for Victoria and Lutruwita / Tasmania?

These globally significant waters are home to threatened marine species and irreplaceable World Heritage coastlines. New drilling and seismic blasting irreparably damage marine ecosystems. It locks in a future pipeline of fossil fuel projects at the exact moment we need to move away from them in order to protect marine life and communities whose livelihoods depend on healthy oceans.

What are you doing about it?

More than 21,000 people like you signed our submission to Parliament last year, making our opposition to these mindless acreage releases loud and clear. In June, we took nature to Parliament House with a volunteer painted as the ocean, submitting a symbolic bid to protect Australia's waters, backed by Greens and crossbench MPs. 

Lutruwita / Tasmania’s ancient oceans have thrived for millennia, holding deep significance for the Tasmanian Aboriginal community. The government cannot give it away to exploitative oil and gas industries in exchange for a pittance. 

We've helped stop this before; we’re not backing down now.

Yours for oceans.

 - Amanda Holly - Manager of Corporate Advocacy & Engagement, Wilderness Society

Campaigns and Wilderness Society updates HERE