TALENT ALERT: Final North West Shelf approval - climate bomb initiated
Climate Media Centre
12th of September 2025
Woodside has accepted the conditions set by the government for the operation of its North West Shelf facility up until 2070 – but no condition can prevent the 4 billion tonnes of stored climate pollution that will be released over the lifespan of the project.
The North West Shelf extension paves the way for other destructive gas projects, such as the Browse proposal which entails drilling gas wells around Scott Reef, which is the largest offshore reef in the world and home to numerous threatened marine species.
Woodside’s North West Shelf development in Western Australia is the linchpin of the gas export industry's ambitions to continue pumping climate pollution into our atmosphere for decades to come. With Woodside's North West Shelf operating life likely being extended to 2070, the facility will be responsible for around 4 billion tons of emissions over the lifetime of the project, which is roughly 10 times Australia's total annual domestic emissions.
To arrange interviews, please contact:
Senior Media Advisor, Sean Kennedy - 0447 121 378, [email protected]
MURUJUGA CULTURAL SITE IMPACTS
Professor Ben Smith - Professor of Archaeology (World Rock Art), University of Western Australia
Prof Ben Smith can explain the exact impacts that pollution from the gas industry is having on Murujuga, and detail the discrepancies between the executive summary written by the Western Australian government and the findings of scientists who carried out research on the Murujuga petroglyphs.
Location: Perth, Western Australia
Raelene Cooper, Mardudhunera Traditional Custodian, Save our Songlines
Raelene has been leading a campaign to protect the Murujuga cultural site for years, submitting requests with the environment minister's office to fully assess the impacts of acid erosion from the North West Shelf gas processing plant on this globally significant rock art site.
Location: Western Australia
ECONOMIC AND GAS INDUSTRY ANALYSIS
Alex Hillman, Lead Analyst, Australasian Centre for Corporate Responsibility
Alex can explain that the North West Shelf and associated fields are one of the more costly gas developments globally on top of the climate pollution it will generate, and he can talk about the poor economics of the project, as well as the pressure from Woodside investors as the North West Shelf development will further blow out the corporation alignment with the Paris agreements emission reduction targets.
Location: Perth, Western Australia
Dr Wesley Morgan, University of New South Wales, Institute for Climate Risk & Response.
As the vast majority of the gas processed at the North West Shelf is destined to international buyers, Dr Morgan can give expert analysis of the regional gas export market, and share insights on buyers like Japan who are stockpiling and on-selling our gas - Japan sells more gas in Asia than it uses domestically. He can also share research on the two Japanese firms who often partner with Woodside on their gas projects, explaining how they have already invested about $1Bn into their Scarborough gas fields, the gas from which is to be processed as the North West Shelf LNG processing facility for export.
Location: Currently in the Solomons Islands
WEST AUSTRALIAN IMPACTS
Verity Morgan-Schmidt, CEO of AgZero 2030
Verity has first hand experience of the pressures being placed on agricultural communities as temperatures continue to rise, and heatwaves and droughts become more frequent and intense. AgZero 2030 is an agriculture sector-led movement progressing climate solutions, assisting farmers throughout the state with their efforts of becoming carbon neutral by 2030.
Matt Roberts, Executive Director of the Conservation Council of Western Australia (CCWA)
As WA’s leading climate and nature campaigning organisation, CCWA have been at the forefront of the work battling the worsening climate impacts that are being felt by the communities and environment of WA. Matt can talk about the nature impacts of emissions from the fossil fuel industry, and the concerns of climate vulnerable communities in the state.
Location: Perth, Western Australia
Piper Rollins, Climate Campaigner, Australian Conservation Foundation
Piper has been on the ground with the local communities who will be impacted by the North West Shelf development, she has also been travelling in the region with a methane imaging camera capturing data on the local emissions from the current processing facility and pipelines, and can explain the impacts of the methane emissions from the expansion of the gas industry in WA.
HISTORICAL CONTEXT
Martin Pritchard, Executive Director, Environs Kimberley
Woodside abandoned the first iteration of this project in 2013 after mass protests and arrests in the Kimberley which stretched out over 5 years. Martin can give accounts of the campaigns against this project over the years, and can share images of the original protests and arrests.
Location: near Broome, Western Australia
END
Contact details:
Senior Media Advisor, Sean Kennedy - 0447 121 378, [email protected]