John Englart

Labor provisionally approves North West Shelf Gas Carbon Bomb

Action: Protest outside the office of Labor Peter Khalil MP
Where: Peter Khalil Office, 466-468 Sydney Road, Coburg
When: 11am Monday 2 June.
RSVP: Facebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/622704240791701/

New Federal Environment Minister Murray Watt on Wednesday provisionally approved the Woodside Energy North West Shelf Gas Project extension to 2070. This is a carbon bomb and contradicts the perception of the recently elected Labor Government taking strong climate action.

The electorate of Wills voted for Climate Action on May 3. Did those who voted Labor know they were voting for approval of a Carbon Bomb?

Extension of the North West Shelf Gas Processing hub from 2030-2070 will result in the release of over 4 billion tonnes of lifetime green house gas emissions: a carbon bomb. Australia has signed on to the Paris Agreement to limit temperatures to 2C and strive to limit temperatures to 1.5C. Scientists and energy experts have been saying since 2021 we should not be opening new coal or gas plants if we are to achieve those temperature limits.

This project will enable development of Woodside’s Browse Gas field. Extending Karratha Gas Plant will enable the exploitation of the Browse Gas Basin, which is co-located with the Scott Reef, a reef ecosystem that supports a range of threatened species including sea snakes and the Pygmy Blue Whale.

All of this gas will be used for the export market. But Other countries don’t need Australian gas: 

  • The world is heading for a global oversupply of LNG, the liquefied form of gas which would be exported from this project. 
  • Global LNG supply is expected to grow by 47% by 2030, but demand is only expected to increase by 20% under current policies. 
  • As a result, nearly a quarter of global LNG supply will not be needed by 2030.
  • Some argue that Australian gas is needed by our trading partners, but our key trading partners aren’t reliant on our gas. In fact Japan, our largest trading partner, exports more gas than they import from Australia.

The industrial pollution from this project will also degrade and destroy the Murujuga cultural landscape: internationally significant rock art on the Burrup peninsula estimated to contain over 1 million petroglyphs up to 50,000 years old.

An assessment report on the Murujuga rock art that took the WA government 12 months to release last Friday has a very misleading summary report that fails to reflect the science in the 800 page report on the very real pollution impacts to rock art.

Independant peer reviewed Research from 2022 shows industrial emissions pollution is already degrading and destroying the rock art.

The Federal Government has set a net-zero emissions by 2050 target. Why are they approving infrastructure to produce greenhouse gas emissions beyond this date? The government is yet to explain why approval goes beyond a legislative target date of 2050.

Comment

“Approval of the North West Shelf extension would be easily one of the worst decisions ever made by an Environment Minister in Australia’s history,” said Greg Jericho, Chief Economist at the Australia Institute, speaking from the Australian Energy Producers conference.

“Even from an economics point of view, it makes no sense. It will actually deliver high gas prices for Western Australia. All of the gas is going to be exported. They won’t pay any royalties, that’s giving away over $200 billion worth of gas for free.”

“It’s a gift to Woodside and at the same time making the climate worse at destroying ancient objects. I’m not sure how any government could do that and say they have any pride in Australia.”

Timeline

28 May 2025 – ABC News 7.30 Report: Concerns extension of gas project in WA risks damaging ancient rock art | 7.30

28 May 2025 – Woodside’s North West Shelf, Australia’s largest gas project, approved for life extension to 2070 https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-05-28/woodside-gas-approved-north-west-shelf-2070-watt/105347520

28 May 2025 – Environment Minister Murray Watt provisionaly approves North West Shelf Gas Processing Project extension with conditions https://minister.dcceew.gov.au/watt/media-releases/statement-north-west-shelf-gas-processing-project

28 May 2025 – UNESCO to defer Murujuga rock art listing for World Heritage listing until government tackles emissions https://www.acf.org.au/news/unesco-to-defer-murujuga-rock-art-listing-until-government-tackles-emissions

28 May 2025 – World heritage status denied for rock art due to Burrup gas project pollution. “Documents released overnight show Unesco has deferred a decision on the Murujuga bid, and referred it back to the Australian government so it can “ensure the total removal of degrading acidic emissions” affecting the petroglyphs. Unesco said Australia should develop a decommissioning and rehabilitation plan for existing industrial facilities at the site, which include a liquefied natural gas processing plant operated by Woodside Energy as part of its massive North West Shelf export gas project.” Guardian Live

27 May 2025 – ‘The spin has been wrong’: rock art expert raises concerns over critical report ahead of Woodside decision. WA State Government released an 800 page report on Murujuga cultural landscape rock art last Friday that it had been sitting on. Executive Summary did not disclose full impact of pollution on rock art in the full report, with claims by experts the summary report has been doctored. Federal Environment Minister Murray Watt has said he would make a determination on North West Shelf by end of May. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/may/27/the-spin-has-been-wrong-rock-art-expert-raises-concerns-over-critical-report-ahead-of-woodside-decision

27 May 2025 – Rock art expert says WA government doctored elements of Murujuga rock art report https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-05-27/murujuga-rock-art-benjamin-smith-government-cover-up/105342280 

Listen to Professor Benjamin Smith on Murujuga Rock Art Monitoring Report (MRAMP) on ABC Perth https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z27FZf1bonc 

See also ‘It’s a cover-up’: Rock art expert accuses WA government of lying in emissions report https://www.smh.com.au/national/western-australia/it-s-a-cover-up-rock-art-expert-accuses-wa-government-of-lying-in-emissions-report-20250527-p5m2lu.html

26 May 2025 – Woodside spills 16,000 litres of oil into ocean north of Ningaloo Reef.
The company that thinks a damaging oil spill from its planned drilling near Scott Reef is “only a mere theoretical possibility” weeks ago accidentally released a cocktail of hydrocarbons, chemicals and water into the Indian Ocean. https://www.boilingcold.com.au/woodside-spills-16-000-litres-of-oil-into-ocean-north-of-ningaloo/

25 May 2025 – Explainer: Reliable energy or ‘carbon bomb’? What’s at stake in the battle over Australia’s North West Shelf https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/may/25/reliable-energy-or-carbon-bomb-whats-at-stake-in-the-battle-over-australias-north-west-shelf

22 May 2025 – Murray Watt knocks back objections to Woodside’s North West Shelf extension and clears way for final decision. Environment minister due to decide on controversial plan by end of the month in one of his first major challenges in new portfolio. https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/may/22/murray-watt-knocks-back-objections-to-woodsides-north-west-shelf-extension-and-clears-way-for-final-decision

References:

28 May 2025 – Australia Institute – Greg Jericho “Worst decision ever made by an Environment Minister” https://www.facebook.com/TheAustraliaInstitute/videos/1743648289895826

28 June 2025 – Australian Conservation Foundation – ‘Juukan Gorge in slow motion’: proposed approval of Woodside gas factory to 2070 will destroy ancient rock art, condemn Australians to more dangerous climate https://www.acf.org.au/news/juukan-gorge-in-slow-motion-proposed-approval-of-woodside-gas-factory-to-2070-will-destroy-ancient-rock-art-condemn-australians-to-more-dangerous-climate

22 May 2025 – Climate Council – 5 reasons why the Albanese Government should not approve its most polluting fossil fuel project yet https://www.climatecouncil.org.au/resources/extending-north-west-shelf-project-rotten-climate/

2022 – Rock Art Research – BW Smith et al, The Impact of Industrial Pollution on the Rock Art of Murujuga, Western Australia https://www.ifrao.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/39-1-Murujuga.pdf

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