Protesters descended on City Beach today to rally against the State Government’s decision to approve gas fracking in parts of WA’s north.

The Government last week said it would keep fracking bans in place in the South West, Peel region and Perth metropolitan area but would allow operations under strict regulations in areas of the North West.

About 150 people attended a rally at City Beach this morning in a bid to send a message to Premier Mark McGowan that they wanted a State-wide ban on fracking.

Conservation Council director Piers Verstagen said the Government was ignoring the science of climate change and the impact of fracking.

“We have a State premier who has said the two per cent of WA can be fracked,” he said.

“That sounded good for about two seconds until we realised the amount of area that was going to be. That’s five million hectares, nearly the size of Tasmania.

“That is not an acceptable incursion of this industry into our beautiful State and we are here today to say we are not going to accept it as a community.

Four anti-fracking protests will be held in Perth, Geraldton, Broome and Badgingarra.

Lock the Gate representative Simone van Hattem said she was shocked Mr McGowan had chosen gas companies over communities.

She said the fracking decision was a “huge green light for the gas industry and a foot in the door”.

“The community doesn’t obviously accept this outcome,” she said.

“I’ve been talking to communities in the regions all week and everybody is ready to keep fighting.”