The Conservation Council of WA (CCWA) has called Woodside’s announcement that the WA Government has granted State Significant Project status to its Browse to North West Shelf gas export project a “clear and cynical attempt to pre-empt the approval process”.
CCWA Executive Director Matt Roberts said that while a State Significant Project has no legal status - unlike a Priority Project - it is clearly intended to inflate the significance of Browse while under assessment by the WA Environment Protection Authority (EPA).
“There’s nothing of significance in this announcement by Woodside for Browse itself, but clearly it’s intended to add more pressure on the independent regulator to approve the project.
“The EPA has previously said Browse is too risky to proceed — and the independent EPA process needs to be allowed to run without external pressure or influence.
“Based on evidence provided to the EPA, it’s unthinkable the state government would allow the industrialisation of an underwater marvel like Scott Reef.
“The Browse project would have a significant cost for Western Australians — not just through the damage to Scott Reef and our climate, but by exporting WA gas overseas royalty-free while Woodside barely pays any tax.
“This project is so carbon-intensive and costly it risks increasing WA’s domestic gas prices by as much as four times.
“WA is one of the world’s biggest producers of gas — we have more than enough gas to get us through the energy transition and no need for destructive new projects like Browse.
“Just last week, more than 70,000 Australians made submissions to the Federal Government, urging it to apply more scrutiny to the Browse to North West Shelf gas export project. Now, Woodside is applying pressure for less scrutiny on Browse, but WA's independent EPA process must be allowed to run its course.”
ENDS
Media contact: John Cooke – 0433 679 780