In September, Environment Minister Murray Watt approved Woodside's North West Shelf Gas Extension, a climate bomb that is set to generate a staggering 4 billion tonnes of climate pollution over its lifetime.
This decision is a betrayal. Australian communities are already suffering the impacts of climate damage, struggling through devastating floods, bushfires and storms. The last thing we need is a green light for billions more tonnes of pollution to fuel disasters.
Today, ACF represented by Environmental Justice Australia (EJA) commenced proceedings in the Federal Court to challenge Environment Minister Murray Watt's ill-considered decision.
What grounds are ACF taking to the court?
The Minister considered something he wasn't allowed to. The law says the Minister can only consider matters related to this specific project when making a decision. But in this case, he factored in the economic benefits of a related project that isn't approved and that hasn't been assessed yet - something the law doesn't permit. That's a legal misstep.
The approval left out critical details. The Minister gave the green light without knowing what kind of gas the project will process and what pollution it will cause. The law requires these details to be clear before approval.
The decision was legally unreasonable. The Minister claimed the project's impacts on the Dampier Archipelago's heritage could be managed but didn't have a solid basis for that claim. ACF and EJA argue that this leap of logic makes the decision legally flawed.
Climate change impacts were ignored. The Minister had information about how climate change could harm the Dampier Archipelago's heritage - but failed to consider it. That's a serious oversight, especially given the scale of emissions involved.
Why are we pursuing a court challenge?
Litigation is never an easy route, but it's the only option we have to challenge the legality of this decision. We cannot allow this project to continue unchallenged.
Fossil fuels are rapidly accelerating climate change and the North West Shelf gas extension could spew toxic pollution until 2070.
Woodside's Burrup gas hub has already caused damage to Murujuga's sacred rock art. This extension could eradicate them entirely. The Minister knew this was a risk and approved the project anyway.
By taking this case to court, we are asking a critical question: should the government consider climate damage when approving fossil fuel projects?
This case is bigger than one project. It could set a protective legal precedent that climate harm must be considered under national environmental law.
If successful, this case could reshape how climate impacts are assessed in Australia.
We've got the lawyers. We've prepared our case. We've got the community behind us.
Now we need you. We urgently need funding for this case. This is our last shot to challenge this.
Are you with us?
