North West Shelf: Woodside gas processing plant gets final approval from Murray Watt to run until 2070

Woodside’s North West Shelf gas processing plant has been given final approval to keep operating until 2070 with 48 strict conditions aimed at protecting nearby ancient Indigenous rock art.

These conditions are additional to those imposed by the WA Government and include continuous monitoring of emissions and reductions of some gases by as much as 60 per cent below current levels.

Environment Minister Murray Watt said the protections would ensure there wasn’t “unacceptable” damage to the 40,000-year-old rock art.

Senator Watt has also issued a partial declaration under cultural heritage laws to protect the significant site at Murujuga and give time for the Murujuga Aboriginal Corporation, WA Government and local industry to work on heritage management plans.

The extension of operations at the processing plant is considered vital to the viability of further opening up the Browse gas field.

The WA Government approved the operating extension in December after a six-year assessment process.

Senator Watt gave a provisional Federal approval for it in May, shortly after he was appointed to the environment portfolio, and the Government and Woodside have been in negotiations over the conditions over the past four months.

The Murujuga rock art was granted world heritage listing in July.

The decision comes days after Pacific leaders warned Prime Minister Anthony Albanese that approving the extension could break international law.

Vanuatu’s climate change minister Ralph Regenvanu referred to a recent International Court of Justice decision that countries could be held legally accountable for their emissions, saying that “made it clear that going down the fossil fuel production expansion (path) is an internationally wrongful act, under international law”.

Mr Albanese said he would always act in Australia’s interests.