The ABC's report that a top statistician quit a study into whether Woodside's North West Shelf gas plant was destroying the Murujuga rock art after the WA government misrepresented its findings, is extremely concerning.
The gas industry-funded report, which was sat on for months for being released a week before federal Environment Minister Murray Watt said he would make a decision on whether to extend the highly-polluting project, showed strong evidence the art is being degraded by Woodside's Burrup Hub.
University of Western Australia Professor of World Rock Art, Benjamin Smith, said the report was "not worth the paper that it is written on" and the executive summary was intentionally misleading.
Today, the ABC is reporting that Professor Adrian Baddeley, who quit his leading role in the study, is claiming the WA government misrepresented his team's key finding.
"Misstating the results of an expensive scientific investigation is unacceptable and I think that's what's happened," he told the ABC.
The report was also used by the Australian government to lobby UNESCO member countries to strip out conditions requiring an end to Woodside's acid gas emissions as a precondition for the World Heritage listing of Murujuga.
Australia Institute research shows Woodside's North West Shelf gas export terminal will cause 4.3 billion tonnes of emissions.
That is the equivalent to building 12 new coal power stations.
"This is extremely concerning and shows the power the gas industry has captured the WA government," said Mark Ogge, Principal Advisor at The Australia Institute.
"Someone who had a key role in the report is saying what we have long known - the WA government misrepresented the facts.
"To put it bluntly, it appears the WA government has altered the report so the Premier could falsely claim Woodside's operation wasn't destroying Murujuga, so Woodside could get its disastrous 45-year gas export extension approved."
This report was the basis of Minister Watt's assurance to UNESCO members that Woodside's gas exports were not harming Murujuga.
Key facts:
- The approval will add around 90 million tonnes of emissions to the atmosphere annually, equivalent to building 12 new coal power stations.
- The Australian Environment Minister now acknowledges that acid gas emissions from Woodside's North West Shelf projects have degraded and will continue to degrade the Murujuga World Heritage site for another 45 years.
- The extension allows Woodside to export enough gas to supply Western Australia for around 90 years, despite WA facing looming gas shortages and price increases.
- North West Shelf has already tripled WA's wholesale gas and electricity prices since it began exporting the state's onshore domestic gas reserves in 2020, exposing WA to global prices.
- The Australia Institute estimates the value of royalty-free gas exported via the North West Shelf over the extension period as up to $215 billion, equivalent to around four years of Australia's total defence budget.
