Dutton vows to fast-track North West Shelf decision

The Coalition would introduce a National Interest Test requiring greater consideration of a project’s economic and social benefits and limit the appeals process.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton speaking on Monday. Picture: NewsWire / David Geraghty

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Peter Dutton has vowed to make a decision on Woodside Energy’s contentious $30bn North West Shelf gas plant extension within 30 days of being elected, in a move that will further ramp up pressure on Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek.

Mr Dutton on Wednesday will announce that the Coalition will instruct the federal Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water to fast-track its assessment of the project, which has now been waiting more than six years to secure state and federal approvals.

Ms Plibersek has already delayed her decision on the project, which has been a major target for climate and environmental activists, and has the ability to again defer her final call until after the election.

With polls pointing to a potential hung parliament, the Greens have indicated they would use the North West Shelf approval as a bargaining chip in any power-sharing negotiations with Labor. Teal independent Kate Chaney has also repeatedly called for Ms Plibersek to block the giant project, although she has more recently wound back her position and now says she is willing to see it go ahead under specific conditions.

In a statement, Mr Dutton said the 30-day commitment would bring back investor certainty that has been “discarded” under the Albanese government.

“We would expedite consideration of the North West Shelf project as a matter of urgency because, unlike Labor, we recognise the significance of the North West Shelf to the WA economy and the importance of secure and reliable gas supplies in pushing down energy prices,” Mr Dutton said.

Karratha Gas Plant, for the North West Shelf Project, Western Australia. Picture: supplied

“The Albanese Labor government has been the most anti-resources, anti-mining, anti-WA federal government in living memory. It is of national importance that this project not be held up any longer by a government whose Prime Minister and minister would rather gain Green votes in inner-city electorates than approve good economic projects for the energy security of our nation.”

The Coalition’s pledge on the North West Shelf would be followed by the introduction of a National Interest Test, which would require greater consideration of the economic and social benefits of a project under environmental assessment. The opposition would also impose a 12-month time limit on appeals and reconsideration applications in an effort to rein in activists looking to hold up projects in the courts.

Woodside and its partners want to extend the life of the North West Shelf out to 2070.

As part of her decision, Ms Plibersek is weighing up the latest and to date unreleased findings from the government- and Woodside-sponsored rock art monitoring program. The area around the North West Shelf gas plant is home to more than one million ancient Aboriginal petroglyphs, and Indigenous campaigners and a number of scientists argue that the plant’s emissions are accelerating the erosion of that rock art.

Appearing in Perth on Tuesday, Foreign Minister Penny Wong would not be drawn on whether the government would make a decision before the election.

Activists and some scientists argue that industrial emissions on the Burrup Peninsula are damaging nearby ancient rock art. Credit: Save our Songlines

She noted that while the WA government spent six years making its decision, the federal government had only had the application for seven weeks.

“I think ministers should exercise their statutory roles in a principled, considered way,” she said.

“And I’m sure Minister Plibersek will do that.”

Liberal candidate Tom White, who is fighting to reclaim the seat of Curtin from Ms Chaney, has attacked Ms Chaney as a “radical risk to WA families” and the state’s economy.

But the state government’s support for the North West Shelf was cited as a factor that almost cost it the ultra-safe seat of Fremantle, with teal Kate Hulett securing a more than 26 per cent swing against Labor and almost costing minister Simone McGurk her job.