Visitors to the DMP booth were supportive of the petroleum industry which has operated in the Mid West for decades.
| Date: | Monday, 29 August 2016 |
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The recent Mingenew Mid West Expo proved to be a very popular avenue for local residents to meet with Department of Mines and Petroleum staff to discuss the developing industry in the area.
More than 100 people visited the DMP booth to talk to Petroleum division staff, including many farmers who have petroleum companies operating on their land, other local workers and families.
Petroleum Division Executive Director Jeff Haworth said visitors to the booth were generally supportive of the petroleum industry, which was largely attributed to their familiarisation due to the local petroleum industry being present for decades.
"Many community members in this area have experienced, first-hand, how this industry has successfully operated without causing significant impacts to groundwater, the environment and the livelihood of farmers," Mr Haworth said.
"Generally, attendees appreciated that there was a strong additional industry in the region, providing jobs for locals and stimulating their economy.
"Many of the farmers who had petroleum operations on their land said they had good working relationships with the companies and were satisfied with compensation and the 'make good’ arrangements they had in place.
Onshore petroleum activities in the region also continued to be inaccurately compared unfavourably to incidences in Queensland and the United States.
Mr Haworth said DMP remained committed to providing factual and impartial information about on onshore oil and gas development.
"This event attracts thousands of local residents from the Mid West, and was a great opportunity for DMP to meet locals and hear their concerns which will help us to ensure operators continue to work to the highest standards and can effectively work with local communities," he said.
"Many visitors to the booth were pleased with DMP's ongoing attendance at the Expo, which highlights the importance of events such as these, in providing the opportunity to engage and query DMP officials on issues that are important to them."
