Community groups are stunned and outraged, vowing to ramp up pressure on the Cook Government after Western Australia’s EPA recommended the first fracking project in the state since Labor lifted the moratorium in 2019 be approved.
Image: Press conference and community action today at Dumas House
Earlier today, the Environmental Protection Authority published a report recommending approval for the billionaire-backed, Texan-owned “Valhalla” fracking project in the Kimberley.
The Black Mountain Energy (via subsidiary ‘Bennett Resources’) project would involve the drilling of an initial 20 frack wells in the heart of the National Heritage listed Martuwarra Fitzroy River catchment – a sensitive part of the Kimberley east of Broome.
Environment Minister Matthew Swinbourn must now reject or approve the project following an appeals period.
Late last year, Labor Party members voted in favour of a statewide ban on fracking at the party’s state conference as fracking opponents including Kimberley Traditional Owners rallied outside. It followed a large rally outside WA Parliament House in September where hundreds of concerned West Australians called on the Cook Government to ban fracking.
Environs Kimberley director Martin Pritchard said, “We are shocked by this decision to recommend the most environmentally destructive proposal in the history of the Kimberley. It’s outrageous the WA EPA has made this recommendation in the world’s most pristine natural landscapes.
“Premier Roger Cook and Environment Minister Matthew Swinbourn must now reject Black Mountain’s fracking project. If they don’t there will be significant electoral consequences with a backlash not just from the Kimberley but also across key Perth electorates.
“Fracking would pollute the water that sustains life in the Kimberley and threaten rare and endangered wildlife as well as the National Heritage listed Martuwarra Fitzroy River which is one of Australia’s best Barramundi fishing meccas. Premier Roger Cook needs to step in and protect the Kimberley from this polluting, damaging industry before it's too late.
“The Labor Party voted in favour of a ban on fracking in the Kimberley at its conference in Fremantle. The government nearly lost the seat in March due to a powerful campaign calling for protection of the Kimberley from fracking. If Texan frackers Black Mountain are given the green light for invasive gasfields, rest assured the people of Fremantle will not take this lightly.’
Seed Indigenous Youth Climate Network National Director Angel Owen said, “As First Nations people, it is our inherent responsibility to protect Country, and the Kimberley holds some of the oldest living cultures on Earth. Approving fracking here would put at risk the lands and waters that sustain communities, culture and our future. Fracking would worsen climate impacts that our communities are already disproportionately feeling, from extreme heat to fires and floods.
"First Nations young people across the Kimberley and across the continent are stepping into this fight with strength and determination. We will not back down. We will protect Country and fight for climate justice because our culture, communities and our future is on the line.”
Lock the Gate Alliance State Campaign Coordinator Simone van Hattem said, “This is a terrible decision from the EPA, and we call on Environment Minister Swinbourn to reject this dangerous project and Premier Cook to ban fracking in the Kimberley.
“We know that the majority of people in Western Australia don’t want fracking in the Kimberley. The Kimberley is truly a global icon worth protecting from the ravages of fracking.
“The Cook Government needs to understand the Kimberley is no place for fracking. Our protests will only grow bigger until the Cook Government gets this message.
“The EPA acknowledges that the public is hugely concerned about water contamination from this industry, and the national scientific advisory body raised similar concerns, but the WA EPA has swept these concerns aside saying fracking can proceed despite huge and material knowledge gaps. Protecting water from fracking is a national environmental issue and we will keep on fighting.”
Conservation Council of WA Executive Director Matt Roberts said, "The EPA decision is reckless and puts one of WA’s incredible savannah and river ecosystems at risk.
"CCWA raised concerns during the project assessment around the potential contamination of groundwater and impacts to subterranean fauna, along with increased greenhouse gas emissions, and the impacts on endangered saw fish, ghost bats and bilbies, none of which the proponent adequately responded to.
“Not only is fracking recklessly unleashing new fossil fuels and emissions, it also poses an unacceptable contamination risk to our groundwater."
The recommendation comes a month after Independent Expert Scientific Committee advice found that the information provided with the application was “not sufficient to assess the project’s potential impacts on surface and groundwater resources and water-related assets.”
The EPA report noted the high level of public concern about the roll-out of the fracking industry in the Kimberley and WA's incomplete regulation for the fracking industry.
ENDS
Background
Political impact:
Lock the Gate and Environs Kimberley ran a high-profile, grassroots campaign against Kimberley fracking in the leadup to the last state election. Following the result, Labor member for Fremantle Simone McGurk acknowledged the Cook Government’s support for fracking played a part in the swing against her.
Timeline:
April 2025: Black Mountain president George Whitman indicates the company is trying to sell Valhalla, telling a pro-oil and gas Youtube channel that developing the project is “not something we can do with the resources and team that we have” and the company is now “trying to market our Canning Basin asset (Valhalla)”. The company later walked back from these comments.
December 2024: Black Mountain resubmits its federal application for 20 wells.
October 2024: Black Mountain comes under fire over inconsistencies in fauna surveys in its original federal environment application. The company’s federal application was also only for six wells, despite its state application being for 20.
October 2024, Black Mountain withdraws its federal application.
August 2024: Black Mountain submits its federal application for Valhalla.
February 2024: Black Mountain delists from the ASX, after encountering challenges securing Australian investor support.
February 2024: ASIC fines Black Mountain $39,960 on three counts of greenwashing - the company had claimed gas from Valhalla would be “net-zero emissions” with no evidence.
July 2022: Black Mountain announces it is investigating using flared gas to power bitcoin “mining” remote data centres in the Kimberley.
May 2022: Black Mountain revises its proposal to increase the amount of groundwater abstraction from 40 ML per well to 100 ML per well, and increase the number of hydraulic fracture stimulation (HFS) intervals from 50 to 70 per horizontal well.
July 2020: Black Mountain submits plans to the WA EPA for its Valhalla fracking project. The company originally said it hoped to begin fracking in 2022, and suggested gas might be transported to the east coast via a transcontinental pipeline.
The Valhalla Project:
Texan owned oil and gas company Black Mountain Energy plans to open the world-renowned Kimberley region to fracking.
Valhalla is the most progressed of any fracking proposal in the state and would involve the drilling of 20 wells in the West Kimberley. Black Mountain says it would then frack them in up to 70 stages each. This would require up to two billion litres of groundwater in total.
Valhalla would be the first fracking operation anywhere in WA since the WA Government lifted the moratorium on fracking in 2018. If approved, it could open the door to thousands of gas wells across the region, effectively turning the Kimberley landscape into an industrial gas field.Black Mountain Energy is comparing the Kimberley’s Canning Basin to the Permian gas basin in the US. The Permian has more than 190,000 oil and gas wells. (see BME website here)
The company’s website also shows a prospective 1,000km gas export pipeline to the Pilbara.