28th of May 2025
The new Environment Minister Murray Watt has announced the conditional approval of one of the biggest fossil fuel projects in Australian history.
The North West Shelf extension paves the way for other destructive gas projects, such as the Browse proposal which entails drilling gas wells around Scott Reef, which is the largest offshore reef in the world and home to numerous threatened marine species.
Woodside’s North West Shelf development in Western Australia is the linchpin of the gas export industry's ambitions to continue pumping climate pollution into our atmosphere for decades to come. With Woodside's North West Shelf operating life likely being extended to 2070, the facility will be responsible for around 4.4 billion tons of emissions over the lifetime of the project, which is roughly 10 times Australia's total annual domestic emissions.
The North West Shelf will also be belching out pollution on the doorstep of the oldest and largest rock art site in the world, Murujuga. Containing more than one million petroglyphs, it is now in doubt to become a UNESCO world heritage site, as the associated acid based pollution from the North West Shelf gas processing facility will erode this globally significant cultural site.
To arrange interviews, please contact:
Senior Media Advisor, Sean Kennedy - 0447 121 378, [email protected]
CULTURAL IMPACT
Raelene Cooper, Mardudhunera Traditional Custodian, Save our Songlines
Raelene has been leading a campaign to protect the Murujuga cultural site for years, submitting requests with the environment minister's office to fully assess the impacts of acid erosion from the North West Shelf gas processing plant on this globally significant rock art site.
Location: near Karratha, Western Australia
Samantha Walker, Ngarluma woman and Murujuga custodian
Samantha, seen here in this video, is deeply concerned about the pollution from the gas processing plant degrading the Murujuga rock art site, which is the oldest and largest rock art gallery in the world. Murujuga contains over one million petroglyphs and is on the tentative list to become a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Location: near Karratha, Western Australia
LEGAL AND ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
Emeritus Professor Alex Gardner, University of Western Australia
Prof Gardner can give expert legal analysis of the WA EPA analysis of this project, the EPBC act under which the environment minister makes these decisions, and the implications the North West Shelf decision will have on our emission reduction targets under the Paris agreement to which Australia is signatory. Prof Gardner has also worked on various submissions related to fossil fuel projects on behalf of concerned farmers who are bearing the brunt of the climate impacts as emissions from the gas industry continue to be pumped into our atmosphere. Prof Gardner was awarded the Eminent Environmental Lawyer Award for Excellence in 2025 from the Law Council of Australia.
Location: Perth, Western Australia
Alex Hillman, Lead Analyst, Australasian Centre for Corporate Responsibility
Alex can explain that the North West Shelf and associated fields are one of the more costly gas developments globally on top of the climate pollution it will generate, and he can talk about the poor economics of the project, as well as the pressure from Woodside investors as the North West Shelf development will further blow out the corporation alignment with the Paris agreements emission reduction targets.
Location: Perth, Western Australia
Dr Wesley Morgan, University of New South Wales, Institute for Climate Risk & Response.
As the vast majority of the gas processed at the North West Shelf is destined to international buyers, Dr Morgan can give expert analysis of the regional gas export market, and share insights on buyers like Japan who are stockpiling and on-selling our gas - Japan sells more gas in Asia than it uses domestically. He can also share research on the two Japanese firms who often partner with Woodside on their gas projects, explaining how they have already invested about $1Bn into their Scarborough gas fields, the gas from which is to be processed as the North West Shelf LNG processing facility for export.
Location: Near Lismore, New South Wales
WEST AUSTRALIAN IMPACTS
Simon Wallwork, Chair of AgZero 2030
Simon is farmer from the wheatbelt of WA, and has first hand experience of the pressures being placed on agricultural communities as temperatures continue to rise, and heatwaves and droughts become more frequent and intense. AgZero 2030 is an agriculture sector-led movement progressing climate solutions, assisting farmers throughout the state with their efforts of becoming carbon neutral by 2030.
Location: near Corrigon, Western Australia
Matt Roberts, Executive Director of the Conservation Council of Western Australia (CCWA)
As WA’s leading climate and nature campaigning organisation, CCWA have been at the forefront of the work battling the worsening climate impacts that are being felt by the communities and environment of WA. Matt can talk about the nature impacts of emissions from the fossil fuel industry, and the concerns of climate vulnerable communities in the state.
Location: Perth, Western Australia
Piper Rollins, Climate Campaigner, Australian Conservation Foundation
Piper has been on the ground with the local communities who will be impacted by the North West Shelf development, she has also been travelling in the region with a methane imaging camera capturing data on the local emissions from the current processing facility and pipelines, and can explain the impacts of the methane emissions from the expansion of the gas industry in WA.
Location: Currently travelling
HISTORICAL CONTEXT
Martin Pritchard, Executive Director, Environs Kimberley
Woodside abandoned the first iteration of this project in 2013 after mass protests and arrests in the Kimberley which stretched out over 5 years. Martin can give accounts of the campaigns against this project over the years, and can share images of the original protests and arrests.
Location: near Broome, Western Australia
END
Contact details:
Senior Media Advisor, Sean Kennedy - 0447 121 378, [email protected]