The Western Australian government has approved a 46-year extension of Woodside’s vintage North West Shelf gas export terminal despite its disastrous impacts on the world’s climate, energy prices for WA households and businesses and the priceless Murujuga cultural heritage site.

Key impacts:

• 4.3 billion tonnes of emissions, the equivalent of 24 coal power stations with equivalent annual emissions of WA’s largest coal power station, Muja.
• Ongoing corrosion of the priceless petroglyphs at the World Heritage nominated Murujuga rock art site from acid gas emissions.
• Drive up energy prices for Western Australian households and businesses.

Woodside’s North West Shelf exports more than twice the amount of gas used by Western Australians, and is increasingly turning to WA’s domestic gas reserves to feed it as its offshore fields run out, with serious consequences for WA’s gas supply and energy prices.

Recently published Australia Institute analysis shows Woodside’s exports of WA’s domestic gas reserves have already led to a tripling of wholesale gas and electricity prices, and the extension will lock in those increases for decades.

“This is one of the most climate destroying projects anywhere in the world. It will make WA, and the rest of the world, hotter and drier, and increase the frequency and severity of fires, floods and other disasters,” said Mark Ogge, Principal Adviser at The Australia Institute.

“Murujuga is one of the most important cultural heritage sites in the world. It is four times as old as Egypt’s Pyramids and eight times the age of Stonehenge. Other nations would never allow the degradation of such important cultural heritage.

“Woodside is running out of offshore gas, so it is coming after WA’s onshore domestic reserves. This has already tripled gas and electricity prices in WA, and this decision will lock those price increases for decades.

“Western Australian households and businesses will pay for this decision through higher energy bills.

“The WA government has again put the interests of multinational gas corporation Woodside ahead of the interests of Western Australians”.