In response to claims made by Premier Roger Cook, the Conservation Council of WA (CCWA) said Western Australia is not facing a gas supply problem, but it does face a gas export problem.
CCWA Executive Director Matt Roberts said playing off Woodside’s Browse project against fracking in the Kimberley as an ‘either, or’ scenario was disingenuous and misleading.
“The government has a choice: make the gas industry deliver the gas they already owe us and is readily available or let them destroy precious places like Scott Reef and the Kimberley,” Mr Roberts said.
"We agree with the Queensland Government that WA gas producers don't deserve a special carve out from the Federal Government's domestic gas reservation scheme. A special exemption for WA would allow Woodside and Chevron to keep making massive profits exporting gas they’re supposed to reserve for the domestic market.
"WA's domestic gas reservation policy has failed. Gas companies are meant to reserve 15% of their gas for the domestic market but deliver little more than half of that.
"WA is already one of the world's biggest gas producers. We have more than enough gas to get us through the renewable energy transition.
“Modelling from IEEFA shows that Browse gas is so costly to extract it risks increasing WA’s gas prices by as much as four times. Approving Browse would be a reckless decision that would leave Western Australians with higher bills, for the sake of Woodside’s export profits.
“The recent gas tax debate, as well as increasing awareness of WA’s gas reservation failures, has shown that the public are seeing through gas industry spin. But Roger Cook has chosen to double down on disproven claims about new gas projects. He’d be better off standing with Western Australian nature and communities, rather than multinational gas companies.
“The Premier told the media ‘I will do everything I can to secure this (Browse) investment for WA’. For the Premier to make such a bold and public statement of support for a project under assessment raises alarm bells about the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) process. The EPAs job is to assess the environment, and we expect that should do that free from political and industry pressure.
“The EPA made initial findings in 2024 that the Browse gas project posed unacceptable environmental risks to Scott Reef and the endangered and migratory species that rely on that ecosystem. Premier Cook can’t ignore those findings to protect Woodside’s gas export profits.”
ENDS
Media contact: John Cooke – 0433 679 780