Dr Cox is understood to have recommended that the Minister for the Environment, Mark McGowan, does not allow any further development of the proposal to extract, liquefy, and export 10m tons/yr of gas.
“Flatback turtles, in particular, would be put at risk from the proposal with two of the most important nesting beaches located adjacent to the proposed LNG processing plant site and the materials’ off-loading facility,” Dr Cox said. “There is very little science available on the lifecycle, behaviour, and feeding habits of flatback turtles. As a consequence, it is not possible at this time to identify management measures that would ensure ongoing survival of this Pilbara flatback turtle population.”
The EPA has found the project partners have not addressed the impact of dredging, the threat of introduced species, and the loss of native fauna species, in their development plans for the island. However, the project partners – ExxonMobil, Chevron, and Shell have a period to appeal against the decision, and the general manager of the Greater Gorgon area project, Colin Beckett, is reported as saying that he is confident of successfully appealing against the decision. “Gorgon is a world-class gasfield, and it is definitely in the best interests of people in Western Australia that we proceed with developing it,” he said. “We are confident that we will be able to convincingly appeal the EPA’s recommendations, and we believe that we can continue to make an appropriate balance between the environment and the good economic benefits of Western Australia.”
Tim Shanahan, from the Western Australian Chamber of Minerals and Energy, has said that the project partners have done all they can to address environmental concerns, and that he would be shocked if it was not allowed to proceed. “Really, it is important for the state that the Gorgon project does proceed, but the EPA process is certainly causing some uncertainty.” State premier Alan Carpenter is expected to come under pressure to approve the development, particularly bearing in mind that the plans propose that up to 3,000 jobs would be created during construction of the plant, and about 450 people would be required to run it, 150 of them on Barrow Island itself.
