Vets for Climate Action expresses its deep disappointment and concern over Minister Murray Watt's provisional approval of Woodside's North West Shelf gas project extension, a decision that risks locking Australia into decades of climate pollution at a time when immediate action is needed to safeguard our environment, animals, communities, and future.
The decision to provisionally approve the North West Shelf project is deeply at odds with Australia's commitment to limit global warming to 1.5°C and threatens the health of animals and humans alike.
Woodside's own environmental assessments highlight the grave risks posed by the Browse and North West Shelf gas extensions—including potential harm to 39 threatened marine species, such as Pygmy blue whales and Humpback whales. The extension of gas processing at the North West Shelf until 2070 opens the door to fracking in the Kimberley, threatening pristine ecosystems and cultural heritage, including the ancient Murujuga rock art—some of the oldest in the world.
Dr Helen Scott-Orr AM PSM, VfCA Board Director said:
"The climate crisis is already driving extinctions of Australia's precious native fauna and flora, and will destroy whole unique ecosystems if not slowed and then reversed. We must not allow Australia's largest gas field, beneath the ecologically precious Scott Reef, to be opened—endangering marine life and undermining national and global climate goals."
The Burrup Hub, of which this project is the centrepiece, would be the most polluting new fossil fuel development in the Southern Hemisphere, generating lifetime emissions more than thirteen times Australia's annual emissions.
VfCA CEO Steff Goldring said:
"The Labor Government's approval will produce more emissions than any other fossil fuel project approved during the Morrison era—nearly rivalling the Adani Carmichael coal mine. At a time when Australians voted for stronger climate action, it is alarming to see decisions that mirror the failed gas expansion policies of opposition leaders.
This is not just a failure of policy—it's a failure of the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act to take into account the impact of projects on climate change and underscores the urgent need for its reform.
We call on the government to prioritise a safe climate future over short-term fossil fuel interests."
Vets for Climate Action urges Minister Watt to demonstrate true climate leadership by rejecting Woodside's Browse and North West Shelf project applications. This decade is our last best chance to protect Australia's biodiversity, the welfare of future generations, and the health of our planet.
