Australian territory gets bigger by 2.5 million square kms

[ThiudareiksGunthigg]

Australia gets bigger and richer
Phillip Coorey Chief Political Correspondent
April 22, 2008


THE (Australian) Federal Government has forecast a "potential bonanza" of oil and gas riches following a decision by the United Nations to grant Australia an extra 2.5 million square kilometres in land - all of it under the sea.

The Resources and Energy Minister, Martin Ferguson, announced yesterday that Australia's jurisdiction over the Continental Shelf in nine areas around the mainland and in the sub-Antarctic had been expanded beyond the existing 200 nautical mile limit.

"I am pleased to announce that Australia, the largest island in the world, has just been dramatically increased in size," Mr Ferguson said.

Although Australia will soon be able to lay claim to the oil, gas and any other deposits under the new territory, it will have no control over the waters above.

Therefore, Mr Ferguson said, Australia would not be able to police shipping, fishing or whaling in the waters above the expanded territory.

But the decision still opened up "a wealth of exploration entitlements", he said. "This is potentially a bonanza; we have unknown capacity out there."

"The truth of the matter is that they have been hardly explored. There has been some exploration in terms of gas."
[more]

A map of the new Australian territory here.

FYI - 2.5 million square kilometres is an area five times the size of France, 10 times the size of New Zealand, and 20 times the size of the United Kingdom.

[s.rwitt]

"I am pleased to announce that Australia, the largest island in the world, has just been dramatically increased in size," Mr Ferguson said.

I thought Antartica was the largest island in the world. Or is it? :hmmm:

Anyways, good, I like it when our friends get oil/natural gas.

[Georgy Zhukov]

Antartica, is a continent not an island.

I wonder why the United kingdom didn't just explore the potential deposits.

[s.rwitt]

Antartica, is a continent not an island.

Still an island though, right? I mean just a super sized one?

Nevermind I guess it's irrelevant.

[ThiudareiksGunthigg]

Still an island though, right? I mean just a super sized one?

The definitions are a bit wobbly. At school Aussie kids are all taught that Australia is the world's largest island and is also the only continent that is also an island. Except Antarctica is also a continent and is as much an island as Australia. And if being an island and a continent is mutually exclusive (which would make some sense) then Greenland is the largest island and Australia and Antarctica are simply continents.

But as you say, it doesn't really matter.

It will be interesting to see if this new decision has any impact on Japanese whaling. It would be funny to watch them try to hunt endangered species in our waters next year and find themselves met by HMAS Anzac instead of a few Greenpeace rustbuckets ...

[ajm317]

It will be interesting to see if this new decision has any impact on Japanese whaling. It would be funny to watch them try to hunt endangered species in our waters next year and find themselves met by HMAS Anzac instead of a few Greenpeace rustbuckets ...

But didn't the article state that:

Therefore, Mr Ferguson said, Australia would not be able to police shipping, fishing or whaling in the waters above the expanded territory.

?

[DimondLight]

Still an island though, right? I mean just a super sized one?

Nevermind I guess it's irrelevant.

Isn't every continent one then?

[antaeus]

Isn't every continent one then?

i guess technically australia should be called an archipelago then... as it has lots of little islands around the one big one.

mmmm australian archipelago

[antaeus]

hrm. new zealand just benefited from the same thing i believe.. there's currently an auction of sorts going on for future oil/gas exploration rights to new zealand administered sub antarctic seafloor. i cant wait to have free everything like the arabs, maybe we can hold the americans by the balls in a few years time when the arab oil runs out.

[Fingon NL]

maybe we can hold the americans by the balls in a few years time when the arab oil runs out.

Lol, imagine the US invading Australia ''because they're so close to Indonesia and other muslim countries they HAVE to be taken over by muslims ''

It will be interesting to see if this new decision has any impact on Japanese whaling. It would be funny to watch them try to hunt endangered species in our waters next year and find themselves met by HMAS Anzac instead of a few Greenpeace rustbuckets ...

That's some nice action shot, though it looks really weird (IMO).

[s.rwitt]

i cant wait to have free everything like the arabs, maybe we can hold the americans by the balls in a few years time when the arab oil runs out.

Hopefully we won't need their dirty oil anymore by then.

[boofhead]

The Arctic and the Antarctic can help get rid of this ME bull .

[Holger Danske]

The Arctic and the Antarctic can help get rid of this ME bull .

Well, that depends on who strikes the jackpot in the Arctic..
If Russia does it... dear lord!

[s.rwitt]

It will be interesting to see if this new decision has any impact on Japanese whaling. It would be funny to watch them try to hunt endangered species in our waters next year and find themselves met by HMAS Anzac instead of a few Greenpeace rustbuckets ...

Followed immediatly by accusations of racism.

Actually, I can't wait

[Osceola]

I was fairly sure Australia's a continent.

[bushbush]

damn....is this one of those meaningless UN declarations? or this one actually has the power to enforcement.

[Giorgos]

Let them get bigger. They don't harm anyone anyway.

[Nick_Since_1985]

The US could learn from Australia, keep a low profile like Australia and Canada = cash, land and respect...

[humvee2800]

australia gets that area just as Canada should get the arctic.

[Chaigidel]

I would far prefer to be chained to my english speaking ex criminal aussies than the ME