Peter Roberston attempts a citizens arrest on Woodside CEO Peter Coleman, at Woodside HQ. Photo: Jenita Enevoldsen

On December 17 2011, Woodside CEO Peter Coleman publicly requested that the final investment decision on his company's plan to build a $40 billion gas factory at James Price Point be delayed pending further 'evaluation'. Then, on January 26 this year, Woodside announced its intention to sell off a portion of its 50% stake in the controversial Browse Basin gas development.

The announcements have fueled speculation by business analysts that Woodside is increasingly keen to offload the risks of being involved in a project that would spoil one of Australia's most iconic pieces of coastline.

All of this is great news for our campaign to stop this inappropriate development and preserve the natural and cultural heritage of the Kimberley

People power prevails

It's thanks to people like you that Woodside appears to be getting cold feet. Tireless activists on the ground in Broome have been supported by people all over the country and, together, we've shown the nation how important it is to keep the Kimberley gas free.

The longer an investment decision on James Price Point takes, the less commercially appealing it becomes compared with alternatives like piping the gas to existing North West Shelf infrastructure (already the preferred option of some of Woodside's joint venture partners).

A better alternative

Processing Browse Basin gas at sites outside the Kimberley would be cheaper, would make better sense for the environment, and would provide a better outcome for the local community.

A recently released report by Credit Suisse estimated that the cost of building Woodside's gas hub at James Price Point could easily add up to $36 billion - a whopping $10 billion more than what it would cost to pipe the gas to the North West Shelf infrastructure in Karratha.

Minister Ferguson needs to move

So, if exporting the gas to Karratha will be more profitable, and a number of Woodside's joint venture partners are keen on the idea, then what's the problem?

Lease conditions imposed by Federal Resources Minister, Martin Ferguson, compel the Woodside-led partners to go ahead with the James Price Point development so long as it is commercial (regardless of how it stacks up against other options).

The Wilderness Society is campaigning hard to convince Minister Ferguson to amend the Browse Basin lease conditions so that the gas can be processed in a more appropriate location. Stay tuned over the next few weeks for updates on how you can help!

Take action

Learn more: Download our fact sheet Key environmental impacts of the proposed Kimberley gas hub

Support our campaigns: Become a member of the Wilderness Society today.

Philip Roe, Goolarabooloo Traditional Custodian, after the WA Supreme Court declares the compulsory acquisition process 'invalid'. Photo: The Wilderness Society

The Supreme Court has ruled that the land acquisition notices issued by the WA government over land at James Price Point are invalid.

The Court’s decision means that Woodside does not have secure access to the site where it wants to build a $30billion gas hub. Despite the Court’s scathing decision, Woodside and the WA government still intend to try and keep their plan to build a destructive gas hub.

In September last year the WA Barnett Government initiated a process of compulsory acquisition of Aboriginal land so it could fast-track decisions on the proposed James Price Point gas hub site.  In doing so, the WA Government pre-empted its negotiations with Woodside (as lead proponent) and the Kimberley Land Council (KLC).

Woodside loses secure tenure at James Price Point

The compulsory acquisition was challenged by Goolarabooloo Traditional Custodian, Phillip Roe, and Jabirr Jabirr Traditional Owner, Neil McKenzie in the WA Supreme Court, and today the Chief Justice handed down a decision in their favour.

The decision invalidates the Government’s compulsory acquisition process. In addition, the Chief Justice commented that the government’s handling of the compulsory acquisition process could be considered patronising.

At its most basic, this decision means that Woodside does not yet have secure access to the proposed site of the gas hub. This is a massive setback for Woodside and the other project proponents, and is likely to delay the project significantly.

There will now be questions raised about all decisions and all agreements which were made in the context of an invalid compulsory acquisition process. The legitimacy of the vote taken by the native title claimants, under threat of compulsory acquisition, now has a major question mark over it.

The WA government and Woodside battle to keep gas hub at James Price Point

The WA Government has announced that it will now proceed to issue a new set of notices for compulsorily acquisition of the land. This is likely to trigger a fresh round of procedures before any sign off to an agreement between the Government, the lead proponent (Woodside) and the KLC.

For the proponents Woodside, Shell, BHP-Billiton, BP and Chevron, this decision will result in further significant delays and heightened concerns about the siting of the project at James Price Point. The fact is there are ready-made alternative sites to this green-field development. The collective Boards of these companies must be questioning the wisdom of spending $40+bn on such a tainted project.

A final investment decision is surely now in doubt. According to documents gained through Freedom of Information from federal Minister Ferguson’s Department of Resources, Michael Hessian, Woodside’s Senior Vice-President, has said:

‘Before a FID [Final Investment Decision] can be taken, the JV [Joint Venture] will require full environmental approvals, tenure security and the agreement of Traditional Owners for the LNG Precinct site at James Price Point…’ (November 17, 2010)

To a sensible investor, a final investment decision looks further away than ever. However, in the hours immediately following the Supreme Court’s decision, Woodside brazenly sent a further 5 drill rig trucks to James Price Point to continue its preliminary gas hub site works.

Woodside’s plain message is that it is not deterred by invalid processes, lack of environmental approvals, lack of support from traditional owners and lack of secure tenure.

The WA Government has 28 days to lodge an appeal.

Take Action

Support our Kimberley campaign by making a tax deductible donation today.

Green turtle feeding on comb jellies. Photo: Jenita Enevoldsen

In a further blow to the Kimberley’s heritage values, Woodside Petroleum is proposing to drill up to 90 gas wells in and around the sensitive Scott Reef area off the Kimberley coast. The public has until late January to make comments on this proposal.

Scott Reef is an untouched jewel of the Kimberley coast. Its pristine waters are inhabited by an extraordinary profusion of marine life including the illusive whale shark, the pigmy blue whale and are the breeding grounds for green turtles.

The green turtles that inhabit the waters around Scott Reef are considered to be a genetically distinct population of the globally endangered species. If allowed to grow to maturity, green turtles can grow to 1.5 metres in length, weigh an impressive 300 kg and live up to 80 years old.

Multiple threats

Amongst the many threats facing sea turtles includes marine pollution, and no industry is more polluting than the oil and gas industry.

Scott Reef and the surrounding area is currently being assessed for a possible Commonwealth Marine Protected Area after the Federal Government identified the area as requiring protection due to its ecological importance, species aggregations and its biodiversity values.

However, Woodside is trying to rush through an approval for the environmental destruction of Scott Reef before the area can be properly protected. This is totally unacceptable.

Destruction on land and sea

After drilling its gas wells into Scott Reef, Woodside wants to pump the gas to its proposed gas hub at James Price Point - potentially dealing a double blow to the environment on both land and sea in this extraordinary part of the Kimberley.

Woodside has recently released its Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Scott Reef drilling plan. Unfortunately, Woodside have already shown a failure to undertake even a basic level of scientific rigour in its previous Environmental Impact Statements for the proposed development at James Price Point.

Which means that any scientific claims Woodside will be making for the Scott Reef plans will need to be properly scrutinised.

You have until 25 January 2012 to comment on Woodside’s latest plans so send in your comments today.

Take Action

You can download  the EIS here and the stakeholder handbook here.

Next:

1. Download our easy submission guide.

2. Email your submissions to 'BrowseEIS@woodside.com.au'

3. To ensure that your concerns reach the decision makers and not just Woodside, we also suggest that you send your concerns to the Environmental Protection Authority at 'submissions@epa.gov.au' and also to the federal department of Environment at 'epbc.referrals@environment.gov.au'

4. Feel free to contact our Kimberley Project Officer to discuss your submission or to let us know if you have noticed an important issue in the EIS which you think other community members need to know about.

Aerial land clearing at James price point, 2011. Image: Rod Hartvigsen

Our campaign to stop the building of the proposed gas hub at James Price Point continues at pace. While the proponents proceed slowly down the path of deciding whether to fund the hub, the project needs a road.

Without a road, construction of the gas hub cannot proceed. This is a pivotal moment in the campaign

The WA Government has appointed a construction company to deliver a purpose-built road for the site. The road will include a brand new section from Cape Leveque Road into the site (19 km) and a revamped road from the junction of Broome and Cape Leveque Roads (25 km). It will cost more than $100 million.

The road is likely to be started without the project having achieved its environmental approvals. It is certain to start without the project having achieved a final investment decision. The WA Government is risking public money on a road for a project that even the proponents have not agreed to fund.

Like everything with this controversial project, timelines for construction have slipped significantly. According to a PowerPoint presentation delivered by the WA Department of Main Roads on 21 March 2011, the "sealed access road" was supposed to have been completed by June 2010. That is now a distant memory.

We had expected construction to begin in 2011, but again that has been delayed. We have now been informed by the Department that construction is expected to start when the dry season begins in April 2012, and it will take two full dry seasons (i.e. to be completed by December 2013).

Better options available

Let’s remember that there are perfectly good options for the gas to be processed in existing industrial zones or on floating platforms out to sea. There is even an existing gas hub at Karratha that will be running out of gas before the end of the decade. The federal Resources Minister argued he had to force the project to James Price Point because the gas could be processed 2 years earlier than the Karratha option. Well, with the incredible delays in the project, the Minister needs to reconsider his position.

Because if the WA Government spends $100 milion or more on this road, then it is likely to be the ultimate Road to Nowhere. A permanent testimony to the poor political judgment of the Premier and the federal Minister for Resources - set in concrete. $100 million is a lot of hospital beds, school teachers and police officers.

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