Doctors for the Environment Australia
Doctors for the Environment Australia has expressed disappointment after the Federal Court today upheld the government's approval of the Scarborough Gas Project's environment plan, clearing the way for the controversial project to go ahead.
DEA, the nation's leading medical voice on health and climate, had argued the national offshore gas regulator, NOPSEMA, acted unlawfully in approving Woodside's environment plan without fully understanding how the project's impacts would be managed. DEA also argued NOPSEMA did not properly apply the legal criteria for approvals.
However, the Federal Court has dismissed DEA's application, which means the project can proceed. NOPSEMA's acceptance of Woodside's environment plan earlier this year was the last hurdle before work on the project could begin.
It has been estimated the Scarborough Gas Project would result in greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) equivalent to 878Mt of CO2. That is equivalent to twice Australia's annual GHG emissions from all sources in 2024.[1]
"After today's decision, it is clear that Australia's offshore gas regulations are not living up to the broader public interest," DEA Executive Director Dr Kate Wylie said.
"Everybody needs a safe climate for their health and wellbeing, so we all have an interest in the effective regulation of industries that are making our climate more dangerous.
"The offshore gas industry in Australia is one of the most significant sources of greenhouse gas emissions, so the Australian community should be able to expect the government to regulate those impacts seriously.
"The government's decision to approve this environment plan appears to fly in the face of that commonsense expectation."
Dr Wylie said DEA would review the decision with its lawyers from the Environmental Defenders Office and assess its options.
"DEA's legal action took place in the broader context of a global climate emergency. This crisis has had profoundly harmful consequences for the health of billions of people around the world, and the impacts are becoming worse," she said.
"Doctors are responding to emergencies such as heatwaves, floods, bushfires and storms. The toll is not just on physical health—but also on mental health.
"The scientific consensus and the advice of the United Nations is that new fossil fuel projects are incompatible with a safe climate and human health.
"Sadly, governments around Australia continue to approve coal and gas projects against such advice.
"In these circumstances, the least our governments can do is to ensure such projects are subjected to thorough scrutiny to ensure proposals address climate impacts in a meaningful way."
DEA Chair Laureate Professor Nicholas Talley said, "As doctors, caring for the health of our communities is at the heart of what we do. It is incumbent upon us as health professionals to address climate change, and highlight the health hazards of our dependency on fossil fuels."
Dr Wylie thanked DEA's lawyers, the Environmental Defenders Office, and Senior Counsel Chris Young KC and Counsel Sophie Molyneux for their work on this matter.
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