The Conservation Council of WA (CCWA) has urged Federal Environment Minister Murray Watt to reject another major Woodside gas export expansion, “or face the ire of angry Australians”.
CCWA Executive Director Matt Roberts said tens of thousands of Australians have signed submissions during the federal consultation period on a reconsideration request for the Browse gas export proposal.
"This includes almost 4,000 signatures to date supporting CCWA’s submission to reject the approval,” Mr Roberts said.
“Early in his term as Australia’s Environment Minister, Murray Watt faced huge public backlash for approving an extension of Woodside’s North West Shelf gas export facility until 2070.
“Soon, Minister Watt will have a decision to make on Woodside’s Browse proposal, which the company hopes will feed the North West Shelf processing facility for decades to come.
“Minister Watt has every reason to reject this proposal – from the direct impacts to Scott Reef, and the unique marine species that live there, to the material climate impacts on the Great Barrier Reef.
“The questions is, will the Minister green-light a second major Woodside approval — one that would risk habitat for endangered whales, turtles and other marine species, and almost certainly spark significant political backlash?
"Or will he choose to do the right thing, finally take a stand against gas exporters, and secure a brave environmental legacy for the Albanese government?”
Almost 4,000 people signed on to CCWA’s community submission into federal consultation on a reconsideration request regarding the Browse proposal. The submission called on Minister Watt to properly consider the current and long-term impact of Browse climate pollution on the Great Barrier Reef.
During the submission period for the Browse reconsideration request, Minister Watt also opened a separate 10-day public comment period on a separate proposal from Woodside for the Browse CCS (Carbon Capture and Storage) project.
“Woodside is seeking separate federal approval for plans to dump carbon pollution from Browse beneath the ocean floor through risky and failed technology,” Mr Roberts said.
“Carbon dumping entails decades of seismic blasting to ensure the pollution doesn’t leak, and has been proven to deafen whales and disrupt their migration pathways.
“You only have to look to Chevron’s failures with its Gorgon project to see that CCS is a failed technology when it comes to abating carbon pollution from massive gas export projects.
“CCWA made a formal request to Minister Watt to delay the public comment period on the carbon dumping proposal until after submissions closed on the reconsideration request so the public had more time to consider, given the high level of public interest in Woodside’s plans — and yet Minister Watt refused.
“Minister Watt should have delayed the consultation a couple of weeks to allow proper public scrutiny on Woodside’s risky carbon dumping proposal. Instead, he chose to rush through these processes simultaneously.
“Minister Watt would do well to listen to community opposition to these interconnected projects.
"The widespread community support for a 25% tax on gas exports has shown that scrutiny on multinational gas corporations has increased — not declined — since Minister Watt made his controversial approval to extend Woodside’s North West Shelf gas processing plant until 2070.”
ENDS
Media contact: John Cooke — 0433 679 780