The Australian Conservation Foundation has expressed its bitter disappointment at Environment Minister Murray Watt's announcement that he intends to approve Woodside's proposal to extend the life of the North West Shelf gas hub out to 2070.
"This is a bitterly disappointing decision that locks in decades more climate pollution and will drive demand to open new gas fields," said ACF CEO Kelly O'Shanassy.
"That the gas is destined for export makes no difference to its climate impact. It will be felt by Australians through more intense and frequent extreme weather events like bushfires, heatwaves, floods and coral deaths.
"Woodside is seeking this extension so it can drill gas from the proposed Browse gas field at Scott Reef, further fuelling global heating.
"It is hard to understand how a government that prides itself on its climate credentials can think it's OK to approve a fossil fuel project that aims to still be producing climate-damaging pollution when Minister Watt and I are in our nineties," Ms O'Shanassy said.
"When a baby born this week is 45 years old, the North West Shelf will still be polluting, if Woodside gets its way.
"Approving the expansion of fossil fuel projects is the opposite of climate action.
"The ancient World Heritage-nominated petroglyphs at Murujuga may not be visible in 2070 if acid emissions from Woodside's Burrup gas hub keep deteriorating the rocks' surface.
"ACF and many others will continue to vigorously oppose the expansion of the gas industry, including the exploitation of the Browse climate bomb gas field at Scott Reef."
Minister Watt's announcement comes despite a draft decision by UNESCO to send the nomination of rock art at Murujuga back to the Australian government to address risks to World Heritage values, including 'degrading acidic emissions currently impacting upon the petroglyphs.'
The following quotes are from ACF's First Nation's lead Josie Alec, a Traditional Owner at Murujuga:
"What's happening to the rock art at Murujuga is like Juukan Gorge in slow motion.
"The UNESCO World Heritage nomination of the rock art will be a farce if 40 more years of acid pollution is allowed to damage the petroglyphs at Murujuga.
"As the First Nations Lead at ACF I am appalled of the lack of community consultation before making this decision.
"Environment Minister Watt should do everything in his power to protect the rock art, not protect the gas industry."
Analysis released by ACF in 2024 shows lifetime emissions from the Burrup gas hub would be more than 13 times Australia's annual emissions from all sources.
