An oil spill at decommissioned Woodside infrastructure located near its planned North West Shelf extension project and World Heritage-listed Ningaloo Reef puts in question if the company can be trusted to manage its operations safely.
Repeated failings by oil and gas corporations to manage offshore infrastructure safely also exposes a need for stronger laws and regulations that govern Australia's offshore fossil fuel industry.
As stated by Greens spokesperson for healthy oceans, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson:
"Woodside's inability to manage its infrastructure safely is a huge red flag, especially given the company's plans to rip open some of the most polluting fossil fuel projects in Australia's history for its North West Shelf extension project.
"A toxic spill this close to the Ningaloo Reef World Heritage Area or the pristine Scott Reef has the potential to be devastating for marine wildlife, including thousands of species of whales, sharks, fish, turtles and corals.
"Australia desperately needs stronger laws and regulations to govern the offshore fossil fuel industry.
"Fossil fuel corporations make millions from Australia's offshore oil and gas fields and repeatedly get away with failing to clean up after themselves because our current regulatory framework provides insufficient environmental or economic oversight.
"Toxic substances that leak from rig infrastructure are currently self-reported by fossil fuel polluters, and our regulator has limited resources to audit, monitor or inspect this infrastructure. The question is: how much more must our oceans and marine wildlife suffer before the Albanese government acts to change this?"
