SYDNEY, Monday 16 November 2026 — More than 150 Australian entertainers and creatives have signed an open letter calling on Federal Environment Minister Murray Watt to reject oil and gas drilling plans at Scott Reef, Australia’s largest oceanic reef system.
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Artists have supplied images for use here
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High res images and footage of Scott Reef can be found here
The open letter to Minister Watt concerns risks to Scott Reef, 270 kilometres from the Kimberley coast of Western Australia, posed by multinational Woodside which plans to drill up to 57 wells for its Browse gas project. The project is forecast to emit 1.6 billion tonnes of climate pollution and risk a catastrophic oil spill in an endangered whale migratory pathway.
Australian signatories calling on the government to save Scott Reef include 2026 ARIA nominees Kevin Parker (Tame Impala), Tkay Maidza and G Flip, Hollywood actors Hugh Jackman and Simon Baker, and prolific musicians Tina Arena, Paul Kelly and “Down Under” legends Men at Work.
About the open letter, Australian musician Jessica Mauboy said: “Caring for Country means caring for our oceans and all the life they hold. Places like Scott Reef are precious, and we have a responsibility to protect them for future generations. I’m adding my voice to the call to protect Scott Reef and keep it safe from gas drilling.”
Australian singer-songwriter and ARIA award winner Missy Higgins signed the open letter and said: “Scott Reef is an ancient coral reef off WA’s Kimberley coast, home to endangered whales, vulnerable turtles and hundreds of other marine species. Woodside’s plans to drill up to 57 wells under and around it put this extraordinary place at risk. We need to preserve these beautiful places for our kids. If not now, then when?"
Australian singer-songwriter Sarah Blasko said: “Scott Reef off Western Australia’s Kimberley Coast is not the place for a massive new gas project by Woodside. It’s our responsibility to protect our beautiful reefs and rare marine life. They are, after all, what this country is best known for around the world. If we don’t protect them, what does it say about us to our children and the world?”
Scott Reef supports thousands of species including vulnerable turtles and endangered whales that are particularly threatened by Woodside’s proposal. Greenpeace has nominated Scott Reef for National Heritage listing for its ecological and scientific importance, and the WA Environment Protection Authority (WA EPA) has warned Woodside’s plans could cause “serious, significant and irreversible” harms to the 15-million-year-old ecosystem.
Senior Campaigner at Greenpeace Australia Pacific, Hannah Schuch, said: “I am heartened to see so many Australian artists amplifying the call for a better future, one where places like Scott Reef are rightfully protected from greedy corporate interests.
“Scott Reef is an iconic, irreplaceable piece of Australian nature, and Woodside’s plans to drill 57 toxic wells and turn Scott Reef into an industrialised gas zone risk threatened species and this unique, ancient ecosystem.
“Murray Watt and the Albanese Government have an opportunity to make history and write their legacy: save Scott Reef and stop Woodside’s reckless gas plans. Australia is watching.”
ENDS
Contact details:
Emma Sangalli - 0431513465 / [email protected]