Extension of Australia's largest oil and gas project a "slap in the face" for Pacific
The life of Australia's largest oil and gas project will be extended to 2070, with Australian Environment Minister Murray Watt giving the long-awaited environmental approval for the North West Shelf project to be extended beyond 2030.
Woodside proposed the life extension to its West Australian gas facility six years ago, and it has sat under assessment since then.
On Tuesday, Tuvalu's Climate Minister Maina Talia said the North West Shelf extension "would lock in emissions until 2070, threatening our survival" and undermine Australia's chances at hosting the next global climate conference in 2026 in partnership with Pacific nations.
Vanuatu's climate minister said he is devastated by the Australian government's decision to sign off on an extension of Australia's largest oil and gas project until 2070.
Vanuatu's Minister for Climate Change Ralph Regenvanu said that the extension of the project is "a slap in the face for Pacific Island countries who have repeatedly called on Australia to stop approving new fossil fuel projects".
He continued to say that the approval "severely undermines our national security and sabotages our future. The single greatest thing the Australian Labor government could do to protect our region is to stop opening new coal and gas projects".
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