Australia’s biggest gas project, Woodside’s North West Shelf, has received final approval to extend operations through until 2070.
Environment Minister Murray Watt has placed 48 additional conditions on the project, aimed at protecting nearby ancient Indigenous rock art.
These include reducing certain gas emissions by 2030 and reaching net zero emissions by 2050.
The announcement comes almost four months after the minister provided Woodside 10 days to respond to his provisional approval for the extension.
As part of court action brought by traditional custodian Raelene Cooper, the minister also made a partial declaration to protect a significant heritage site adjacent to the Karratha Gas Plant containing the ancient Murujuga rock art.
The ruling brings additional legal protections to parts of the area – but does not preventing industry from operating.
Minister Watt said the 48 conditions will “avoid and mitigate” significant impacts to the rock art.
“This project will be operated in a way that does not cause unacceptable impacts to the rock art including by restricting our emissions,” he said.
“The Albanese government is committed to protecting the environment and First Nations cultural heritage — and protecting jobs.
“It does not have to be one or the other.”
‘Clear way forward’
Peter Hicks, chair of the Murujuga Aboriginal Corporation welcomed the declaration.
“Now, with this declaration, we have an even clearer way forward and we thank the Federal Government for enacting a critical part of Australia’s legislative framework to ensure that this sacred place is protected in perpetuity,” he said.
In a statement published minutes after Mr Watt announced his decision, Woodside’s chief operating officer Liz Westcott said it included rigorous conditions to manage the protection of cultural heritage.
That included additional monitoring of air emissions to protect the adjacent heritage precinct.
Ms Westcott promoted the project’s economic benefits saying it had “paid more than $40 billion in royalties and excise, supported thousands of Australian jobs and contributed well over $300 million to communities in the Pilbara through social investment initiatives and infrastructure support”.
She said the project had produced more than 6,000 petajoules of domestic gas.
“If used just for household electricity, this is enough to power homes in a city the size of Perth for approximately 175 years,” the statement read.
Karratha and Districts Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive Sarah Wheelan said the project extension would have a positive impact on the local business community.
“I think it will be able to give businesses confidence they will be able to continue to maintain and service Woodside’s assets, which is a brilliant thing for both stability, but also being able to plan ahead,” she said.
“When people have that continuity, they can then have confidence investing in their staff, equipment, training, and all those things that are going to make the Karratha business economy stronger.”
Ngarluma Yindjibarndi Foundation CEO Sean-Paul Stephens said it would “take time to digest” the cultural and economic implications of the decision.
“I have no doubt that a massive industry approval will support the economy in some form,” he said.
“Right now the local Aboriginal community has some of the most extreme economic disadvantage in the country, and that’s on the doorstep of billion-dollar industry.”
WA’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry said the decision would result in more affordable and reliable energy supplies for households and businesses.
“Without a secure supply of gas, our industries wouldn’t just slow down — they’d stop all together,” said chief economist Aaron Morey.
Meanwhile, the Conservation Council of WA called the decision both dangerous and deficient and labelled it a “climate fail”.
‘Not good enough’
Greens Deputy Leader Dr Mehreen Faruqi described the final approval and set of conditions as a “betrayal to voters” hoping for strong climate action.
“This project will release 6.1 billion tonnes of emissions and also net zero by 2050 is not good enough. We need net zero by 2035,” Dr Faruqi.
“This project is just going to exacerbate the climate crisis and the disasters that communities have been facing year on year.”
Speaking before the final approval, Leader Larissa Waters also criticised how long it’s taken the two parties to reach an agreement.
“Gas companies get to negotiate on what their environmental conditions are going to be, it’s an absolute farce,” she said
“But what is clear is that this gas project is an absolute stinker … it will be a climate disaster.”
International challenges
Mr Watt’s final approval comes a day after Vanuatu’s climate minister warned Prime Minister Anthony Albanese the gas project could violate Australia’s international climate change obligations.
Woodside’s North West Shelf Project
The operation off WA’s north, including extraction, processing and export, is Australia’s largest resources project.
A recent landmark ICJ advisory opinion found all states were legally compelled to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and address the adverse impacts of climate change.
The Federal Greens have called the facilities a “carbon bomb”, while the prime minister has defended the approval as ensuring “energy security” for the transition to renewables.
Mr Watt’s partial declaration today to protect the rock art heritage site follows Raelene Cooper’s application for the minister to intervene in 2022.
Her aim was to protect the landscape of ancient rocks located on the Burrup Peninsula surrounding Woodside’s Karratha Gas Plant.
She later took the case to the Federal Court, where Justice Angus Stewart found last month the minister had taken an unreasonable amount of time to respond to the application.
Ms Cooper today issued a strong rebuke of the decision.
“This decision is a slap in the face. It allows Woodside to continue operations and pollution to 2070. It is a crime against Murujuga and a crime against humanity,” she said.
“This is not just destroying Murujuga country, but will impact communities all around the world. It is a shameful act and a shameful decision.
“It is a betrayal of Aboriginal people, it is a betrayal of our Elders, it is a betrayal of future generations. It is a betrayal of all Australians.”
The project’s extension was already granted state environmental approval in December 2024.
That process resulted in an agreement that nitrous oxide and volatile organic compound emissions would be slashed to 60 per cent by 2030 — something Mr Watt echoed in his final decision.
Mr Watt also pledged to make documents relating to his negotiations with Woodside, including his original conditions, public on the day of his announcement.
