Public submissions have been invited into Woodside’s $30 billion liquefied natural gas hub on Western Australia’s Kimberley coast as environmentalists and celebrity campaigners increase pressure against the development.
The WA Department of State Development’s strategic assessment report has been released for public comment as part of requirements that need to be satisfied before either state or federal environment authorities can approve the project.
The controversial development, which boasts BHP Billiton, BP, Chevron and Shell as joint venture partners, has been the subject of a highly visible campaign by environmentalists, traditional owners and local celebrities who have called for it to be rejected at the proposed James Price Point site.
Greenpeace used the release of the assessment, which found a relatively low environmental impact from the proposal, to exploit perceived troubles within the joint venture.
The Greenpeace campaigner Trish Harrup called on the joint venture partners to build the project at the brownfields Karratha site.
”Clearly neither Premier Colin Barnett nor Woodside are concerned about the kind of reputational damage that will come from such a bloody-minded approach,” Ms Harrup said. ”Across the globe, communities will be watching the joint-venture partners, BHP Billiton, Shell, BP [and] Chevron, to see if they are willing to become party to this kind of environmental vandalism.
“Following the Gulf catastrophe, BP’s efforts should be on restoring its reputation rather than engaging in resource extraction in an environmentally fragile area.
”Similarly, Shell’s global brand has been damaged by its operations in Nigeria and the last thing it needs is another battle along a front consisting of environmentalists, indigenous people and those concerned with good corporate governance.”
Disquiet within the joint venture has been steadily gathering steam. In September, the chairman of Shell Australia, Ann Pickard, warned Woodside and the WA government not to back stakeholders into a corner.
Last month, the chairman of BHP, Jac Nasser, told shareholders BHP ”won’t proceed with any development where our values and standards are compromised in any way”.
Singer-songwriter Missy Higgins, who has been one of many celebrity campaigners against the development, also announced the first in what could be a series of events to raise money for the Save the Kimberley cause.
