Western Australia’s environment watchdog has taken the unusual step of reopening public consultation on Woodside’s $30 billion Browse gas export project after the energy giant overhauled the contentious plan.
Woodside had sought approval to develop one of the three gas fields it discovered more than 50 years ago, about 425 kilometres north of Broome, and pipe gas 1000 kilometres to the 40-year-old North West Shelf plant for processing.
Woodside has lodged updated plans for its $30 billion Browse project.Credit: Cameron Myles/WAtoday
The proposal drew criticism for its proximity to the Scott Reef, endangered turtles as well as the risk of an oil spill, with an FOI application lodged by this masthead revealing the Environmental Protection Authority formed the view that the proposal was unacceptable.
Woodside lodged a request to vary the plans in March, six years after the initial proposal was submitted.
According to the EPA, the key changes include a reduction in the development envelope, which would mean drilling would no longer overlap the Scott Reef shallow water sea bed habitats or Sandy Islet.
Other modifications include removing or relocating drilling units to avoid green turtle habitats, and using new technology to minimise the risk of an oil spill.
With the amendment marking the third change to the proposal and years having passed since the last round of public feedback, which drew almost 20,000 submissions, EPA chair Darren Walsh said the organisation had decided to take the unusual step of reopening consultation.
“We think a four-week public review of this latest proposed amendment is appropriate for such a complex assessment of multiple environmental factors across a very sensitive project area,” he said.
“The volume of new technical information accompanying this proposed amendment is also considerable.
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