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A Mardathoonera woman who filed a last-minute application in the Federal Court to halt Woodside’s North West Shelf gas project has again threatened legal action after its approval.
“See you in court,” Raelene Cooper said in a statement.
“I’m not on my own, I’m bringing warriors from this ngurra [Country] with me.”
Newly appointed Environment Minister Murray Watt on Wednesday approved a 40-year extension to the major liquified gas plant — to keep it running until 2070.
The North West Shelf is a sprawling industrial complex of offshore rigs and processing factories that pump out more than 10 million tonnes of liquefied gas and petroleum each year.
The proposed approval is subject to strict conditions regarding the impact of air emission levels from the expanded onshore gas plant at Karratha, a city in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.
Meg O’Neill, CEO of Woodside Petroleum, said: “We’ve got a 10-day window to work with the department to understand the conditions and we look forward to executing that work as quickly as possible.”
“Over the last couple of years, the conversation in Australia has moved to one where there is greater recognition that we need to manage the pace of the energy transition … and we need to make sure that we’re tackling those cost of living pressures,” she said, while celebrating the decision.
Independent senator Lidia Thorpe described the move as one which will “light the fuse on this carbon bomb”, while condemning the lack of consultation as one which excludes First Nations peoples “from decisions about our own land”.
“The minister flew to WA to meet with stakeholders but refused to meet with Murujuga custodians. Choosing Reconciliation Week to push through this decision, while side-lining First Peoples, is not just disrespectful — it’s disgraceful,” she said.
“There is clear evidence that industrial pollution is destroying Murujuga’s ancient rock art, which is some of the oldest and most sacred cultural expression on Earth.”
O’Neill said Woodside has been undergoing “scientific combined with cultural heritage work” to monitor and understand the impact of emissions.
Traditional Owners have raised concerns about the impact of the expanded project on sacred rock art and launched legal action in a bid to compel Watt to protect the artwork.
Watt has rejected last-minute objections to the extension from environment organisations, Greenpeace and the Conservation Council of WA, which said Watt had declined to meet them.
“Based on the evidence before me and the department’s recommendations, my proposed decision is subject to strict conditions,” Watt said.
“My responsibility is to consider the acceptability of the project’s impact on protected matters. In this case, the impact of air emissions on the Murujuga rock art that forms part of the Dampier Archipelago was considered as part of the assessment process.
“I have ensured that adequate protection for the rock art is central to my proposed decision.”
David Ritter, CEO of Greenpeace Australia Pacific, condemned the decision as one that “brings Woodside’s toxic gas plans closer to Scott Reef, holds back the clean energy transition underway in WA, and fuels growing climate damage in Australia and around the world”.
Neighbouring Pacific islands, already experiencing their coastlines eaten away by rising seas, had urged Australia to shut down the plant.
Tuvalu climate change minister Maina Talia said: “Pacific leaders have made it clear — there is no future for our nations if fossil fuel expansion continues.”
“The North West Shelf extension would lock in emissions until 2070, threatening our survival and violating the spirit of the Pacific-Australia climate partnership,” he said ahead of this week’s decision.
The government twice delayed a final decision until after the election, following approval from the WA government.
