Home / Environment / Activists Challenge Approval of Massive Gas Project Expansion
Activists Challenge Approval of Massive Gas Project Expansion
13 Oct
Summary
- Two groups file legal challenges to federal approval of Woodside's North West Shelf gas project extension
- Project's total emissions estimated to be over 13 times Australia's annual emissions
- Concerns over damage to Murujuga's world heritage-listed Indigenous rock art
In a move to protect the environment and cultural heritage, two prominent groups have filed separate legal challenges to the federal government's recent approval of Woodside's North West Shelf gas project extension. The Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) and Friends of Australian Rock Art have commenced federal court proceedings, seeking to overturn the minister's decision.
The groups argue that the minister, Murray Watt, failed to adequately consider the project's significant environmental and cultural impacts. ACF estimates the project's total emissions would be more than 13 times Australia's annual emissions, a staggering figure that has shocked many Australians. Additionally, the groups assert that the minister did not properly take into account the potential damage to the Murujuga rock art, a UNESCO World Heritage site containing the oldest and most extensive rock art in the world.
The legal challenges aim to hold the government accountable and ensure that the unique cultural heritage and environmental concerns are given the utmost priority in the decision-making process. As the battle unfolds in the courts, the future of this massive gas project and the preservation of Australia's natural and cultural treasures hang in the balance.
