Bank bosses called off plans to meet traditional owners near Santos’ $5.8 billion Barossa gas project in the Timor Sea, after the Federal Court found communities were split about the impact of the development and rejected claims that it would harm sacred sites.

The country’s four major banks have contributed to a $1.5 billion loan for the Barossa project, off the coast of the Tiwi Islands near Darwin, and have faced pressure from activist organisations such as Market Forces to consult in person with Indigenous groups.