A barrage of almost 200 text messages between Woodside and senior officials from the federal Department of Climate Change, Energy & Water reveals the extent of high-level access gas giants expect – and get.
The heavily-redacted text exchange took place between 21 May and 7 October 2025 in the crucial period when conditions for the controversial North West Shelf extension were being decided.
During this period, Woodside claimed stronger environmental conditions would make its not-yet-approved Browse offshore gas project – gas from which the company proposes to pipe 1000km to the North West Shelf export plant – unviable.
As revealed in documents obtained using Freedom of Information laws, there was relentless, persistent and at times after-hours communication on mobile devices between Woodside and senior government officials about the approval process and public communications.
After the negotiation period, the government weakened the environmental requirements it had initially proposed for the North West Shelf extension.
"What we're seeing here is a gas giant having unfiltered, casual access – at all hours – to senior departmental officials, who are bending over backwards to respond to demands and requests," said ACF CEO Adam Bandt.
"This raises serious questions about inappropriate access and state capture at a critical time in the North West Shelf assessment process.
"Big corporations have too much power over governments. Governments should make decisions for the public interest, not for vested interests.
"When Woodside sends the government 'you up' texts, the public and nature gets screwed."
ACF's court case challenging Minister Murray Watt's approval of Woodside's North West Shelf gas export hub out to 2070 is scheduled to be heard in July.
