The ABC is trying to limit the material it has to hand over to police of climate activists protesting at the home of Woodside Energy boss Meg O'Neill.
Protesters from the Disrupt Burrup Hub group are fighting the planned expansion of energy projects on the Burrup Peninsula in Western Australia.
They were arrested at the chief executive's home on the morning of August 1.
ABC managing director David Anderson was grilled at a Senate estimates hearing on Tuesday, where he confirmed the national broadcaster was seeking constraints on the production order by police to protect confidential sources.
He said the corporation was yet to give footage to police.
"We've always protected our sources, we always have, we always will," Mr Anderson said.
"We could not comply with the full order to produce because otherwise it would have captured confidential sources - that's what we've been negotiating with WA Police."
Ms O'Neill at the time said "extremist" protesters were accompanied by camera crews when they trespassed on her City Beach home in Perth.
The Burrup Peninsula, located in the Pilbara region, contains the world's largest and oldest collection of rock carvings.
