Indigenous groups vow to keep fighting extension of Woodside's North West Shelf
Traditional owners and environmentalists have pledged to continue fighting Woodside's massive North West Shelf (NWS) project by switching their focus to the development of the Browse Basin gas fields off WA's Kimberley coast.
The groups have long argued Woodside's industrial developments pose a threat to the ancient rock art in the Murujuga National Park on the Burrup Peninsula.
On Wednesday, the federal government approved the company's proposal to continue its NWS operation until 2070.
Browse is one of the country's biggest untapped resource projects and is considered a crucial gas supply for the NWS.
"See you in court," was the reaction from Raelene Cooper, a Mardudhunera woman who launched a legal bid last week in the federal court to prevent the extension.
Ms Cooper's son, Mark Clifton, said the legal fight to protect Murujuga was far from over.
"We're standing side by side together as we did the last time," he said.
Murujuga custodian Josie Alec said it was a "disgrace" to think industry and culture could co-exist.
"This is the battle of all battles," she said.
She said there were legal challenges "in the wings" and traditional owners would look towards the outstanding approval for Woodside's Browse project to disrupt the future of the North West Shelf.
"There's always hope," she said.
"[Browse] is 900 kilometres of pipeline through a pristine seabed which also will feed into [the North West Shelf]
"Without that gas, this processing facility can't go ahead."
University of Western Australia emeritus law professor Alex Gardner said there was an arguable case to challenge the yet to be approved Browse project off the Kimberley coast.
The decision to extend the license for the North West Shelf until 2070 is seen a vital stepping stone to the development of Browse, which is likely to be the mother of all environmental fights.
Woodside plans to develop 50 production wells in the Browse basin off the Kimberley coast, which will be connected to the North West Shelf processing plant through a 900-kilometre pipeline.
If approved, most of the gas from Browse will be exported overseas, which could provide an avenue to launch legal action.
Professor Gardner said judicial authorities in Europe would take 'scope three' emissions — those emitted in the countries where the gas is exported — into account when assessing the viability of a new gas field.
"Maybe that's the clue here," he said.
The proximity of the Browse gas field to Scott Reef has alarmed environmental groups.
The reef is home to endangered whales, turtles and thousands of corals.
Greenpeace said it was "appalled" by the approval of the North West Shelf extension, vowing to campaign against the Browse project.
"We don't have any faith that [Woodside] are a safe operator to be able to have a production this close and at this scale to a pristine reef," WA campaign lead Jeff Bice said.
"We know now that we have to increase the pressure to make sure that Environment Minister [Murray] Watt doesn't then approve the Browse proposal.
"That's the whole purpose that Woodside made this extension and it's a terrible, dirty, polluting project that puts endangered species at risk."
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