Concerns extension of gas project in WA risks damaging ancient rock art | 7.30

Northwest Shelf Gas Project Extension: Summary

Key Concepts:

• Northwest Shelf (NWS) gas project: A major LNG processing facility operated by Woodside Energy in Pilbara, Western Australia.
• License extension: Woodside's attempt to extend its operating license for the NWS project by 45 years beyond its 2030 expiry.
• Browse Gas project: A proposed $30 billion gas field development located offshore, intended to supply gas to the NWS plant.
• Murujuga (Burrup Peninsula): A site of significant Aboriginal rock art (petroglyphs) potentially threatened by industrial emissions.
• Scott Reef: A pristine coral atoll near the Browse gas field, raising concerns about marine ecosystem damage.
• Environmental impact assessment: The process of evaluating the potential environmental consequences of the project.
• Porosity: A measure of the degradation or damage to the rock art, potentially caused by industrial pollution.
• Net Zero: Achieving a balance between the amount of greenhouse gas produced and the amount removed from the atmosphere.

1. Project Overview and Controversy

• Woodside Energy seeks a 45-year extension to its license for the Northwest Shelf (NWS) gas project in Pilbara, WA. The current license expires in 2030.
• The proposal has faced strong opposition from environmental groups, who label it a "climate bomb."
• The extension is seen as crucial for Woodside's plans to develop new gas fields, particularly the Browse Gas project.
• The Browse Gas project, a $30 billion investment, aims to extract gas from offshore fields and pipe it to the NWS plant.
• Environmentalists are concerned about the impact of the Browse project on Scott Reef, a sensitive coral atoll and habitat for endangered species like pygmy blue whales and green sea turtles.

2. Environmental Concerns and Scott Reef

• Scott Reef is described as a "pristine coral atoll" located near the proposed Browse gas field development.
• Environmentalists fear that the Browse project will harm the reef's ecosystem and the endangered species that inhabit it.
• Specific concerns include potential damage to coral, disruption of feeding grounds for pygmy blue whales, and threats to green sea turtle nesting sites.

3. Murujuga Rock Art and Cultural Heritage

• The NWS gas plant is located on Murujuga (Burrup Peninsula), home to one of the world's largest collections of ancient Aboriginal rock art (petroglyphs).
• The petroglyphs, some dating back tens of thousands of years, hold significant cultural and historical value for Aboriginal people.
• Industrial development on Murujuga over the past 60 years has raised concerns about pollution damaging the rock art.
• Traditional custodian Railen Cooper has filed legal action, arguing that industrial activities threaten the future of the carvings.

4. Scientific Report and Data Integrity

• A $27 million WA government rock art monitoring program, conducted by Curtain University, investigated the impact of industrial emissions on the petroglyphs.
• The 800-page report was submitted to the federal environment department.
• Concerns were raised about the integrity of the report's summary, with the chief statistician complaining about the removal of a lower-level warning indicator from a graph depicting safe pollution levels.
• The statistician stated, "In my opinion this constitutes unacceptable interference in the scientific integrity of the project. The contract specifies that the highest international standards of scientific practice shall be followed in the research. Alteration of a scientific result definitely does not meet these standards."
• The full details of the graph were available in the main body of the report.

5. Evidence of Industrial Damage

• Archaeology professor Benjamin Smith argues that the latest research confirms the risk posed by industry to Murujuga's rock art.
• The research indicates elevated porosity (degradation) in rocks located closest to industrial sites.
• Smith believes that this porosity is a direct result of industrial pollution.
• He argues that tests on rock samples collected in the 1990s do not show the same level of degradation, suggesting the damage is not solely historical (i.e., not solely from the retired Dampier power plant).

6. Government Decision and Reactions

• Federal Environment Minister Murray Watt approved Woodside's Karatha gas plant extension.
• The approval came with strict conditions regarding air emissions and heritage protection, the details of which are yet to be made public.
• The United Nations released a draft decision rejecting a bid to add Murujuga to the World Heritage List, citing concerns about emissions degrading the rock art.
• Minister Watt expressed disappointment with the UN decision, suggesting it was influenced by factual inaccuracies.
• Woodside welcomed the minister's approval.
• Opponents vowed to continue fighting the project.

7. Conclusion

The extension of Woodside's Northwest Shelf gas project and the associated Browse Gas project remain highly contentious. Environmentalists and traditional custodians raise significant concerns about the potential impacts on marine ecosystems (Scott Reef) and Aboriginal cultural heritage (Murujuga rock art). The integrity of scientific data and the transparency of the approval process have also been questioned. While the project has received government approval with conditions, opposition remains strong, suggesting the debate will continue.