A traditional owner has launched legal action to compel Environment Minister Murray Watt to act on her bid to protect sacred rock art, creating a potential hurdle to his decision process on the proposed extension of a massive gas project.
Mardathoonera woman Raelene Cooper wants Senator Watt to make a determination on her application to protect Murujuga rock art from the impacts of industrial developments at Woodside's Burrup Hub, which includes North West Shelf.
Senator Watt has been in Perth for talks with WA's Labor government, along with industry, conservation and Indigenous groups, about Woodside's extension plans.
The project is on and offshore from the Burrup peninsula in northwest WA, known as Murujuga, which is nominated for UNESCO World Heritage listing because it is home to the world's largest collection of Aboriginal rock art.
Woodside's proposal to extend the life of the project from 2030 to 2070 has been under assessment for six years, and Senator Watt has said he will approve or reject it by May 31.
Ms Cooper said the federal government had ignored her application for three years and she was "sick of waiting" for it to do its job, prompting her application to the Federal Court.
"Now I understand the new minister is preparing to approve Woodside's North West Shelf extension, which will be a death sentence for the oldest and largest rock art site on earth," she said.
If the minister approved the extension before addressing her application, it would be "a deeply cynical act" showing "utter disrespect for indigenous culture and heritage".
Senator Watt has rejected last-minute objections to the extension from Greenpeace and the Conservation Council of WA, which said the minister had declined to meet them.
They had "grave concerns" that this cleared the way for a final decision, "despite the fact that he is just 10 days into his new job, and the project will have long lasting negative impacts for generations to come", CCAA executive director Matt Roberts said.
"We strongly urge Minister Watt not to put the cart before the horse by approving the most polluting fossil fuel plant in the southern hemisphere and opening a pathway for drilling and carbon dumping operations at Scott Reef," he said.
"Six billion tonnes of carbon emissions over the life of this extended project will have a devastating impact on climate well beyond the WA border."
Research released by the Australia Institute on Friday showed that emissions from the planned extension would be equivalent to 33 years of Australia's entire emissions.
It was one of the biggest proposed fossil fuel developments in the world and it would make climate change worse, research director Rod Campbell said.
"Vast amounts of gas are exported … by a handful of predominantly foreign-owned corporations that get most of the gas for free and pay no resources tax on the gas they export," he said.
"We would never consider allowing dozens of new coal power stations, yet Woodside's gas export expansion plans would have even more emissions."
