WA Environment Minister Reece Whitby has approved a 50-year extension of Woodside‘s North West Shelf gas project following six years of assessment and appeals.
In 2022, the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) recommended ministerial approval for the proposed project extension while mandating measures for the mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions.
A record 770 appeals were made following the EPA’s decision, which have been under consideration by Minister Reece Whitby.
A snap protest has been called outside Woodside headquarters this morning, led by the Conservation Council of WA and Murujuga Traditional Custodians.
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Responding to news of the approval for a 50-year North West Shelf extension to enable Woodside’s Burrup Hub to expand until 2070, Mardudhunera woman Raelene Cooper said,
“This is such a special place and it is really unbelievable to me that Woodside is allowed to destroy it. Murjuga is my country and it holds my songlines—the rock art is sacred to my people.
“This project is going to wreck all that with toxic emissions if the government let them. Tanya Plibersek is supposed to be the Water and Environment Minister. She must not allow Woodside to keep pumping out their acid gas all over my cultural heritage until 2070—or it will all be gone.
“Woodside is getting Browse gas to feed the Burrup Hub from under a pristine coral reef that endangered sea snakes, whales and turtles rely on for their habitat. Woodside’s Burrup Hub extension threatens all of that, as well as the rock art right here.
“Once the toxic gas has eroded our sacred sites, the knowledge and identity of who we are as traditional custodians will be lost and gone forever. It saddens me, and it makes me angry. But this isn’t just about the survival of my culture, it’s about the survival of all people. The same toxic gas destroying my rock art is also causing destruction for our planet. It is heartbreaking that any government would allow this to continue.”
Woodside executive vice president and chief operating officer Australia Liz Westcott said,
“This year we are celebrating 40 years of domestic gas production from the Karratha Gas Plant and 35 years of LNG exports—a contribution to reliable energy supply which can continue for years to come.
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“We look forward to the finalisation of the federal approval process to provide certainty around the ongoing operation of the North West Shelf Project. By using existing infrastructure, the Project can continue to support local and global energy security and regional development opportunities in the Pilbara in northern Western Australia.
“We are committed to ensuring we continue to meet all environmental requirements, including the conditions of this approval, and engage in meaningful consultation with Traditional Owners regarding our activities.”
As part of the approval, the North West Shelf committed to a range of environmental management measures, including a significant reduction in air emissions such as Oxides of Nitrogen and Volatile Organic Compounds as well as greenhouse gas emissions management measures to reduce emissions over time.
