Dear Minister for the Environment, Senator Murray Watt,
I am writing to you regarding the public consultation on the Australian Conservation Foundation's (ACF) request to reconsider the assessment of Woodside's proposed Browse Gas Project. I support the ACF’s request that the Browse Gas Project be assessed more comprehensively under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) to properly include consideration of the climate impacts of the project on the Great Barrier Reef.
Recent scientific analysis commissioned by the ACF estimates that burning the gas from the Browse Project would generate approximately 1.6 billion tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions over the life of the project. The analysis found these emissions would contribute to the death of an additional 29.35 million individual coral colonies on the Great Barrier Reef during every future mass bleaching event if the project proceeds.
This is substantial new information that should be considered as part of the project's assessment. It demonstrates that the climate impacts of Browse extend far beyond Western Australia and directly threaten one of Australia's most iconic World Heritage areas. As bleaching events become more frequent, reefs have less time to recover, increasing cumulative damage and reducing their long-term chance of survival.
I am also deeply concerned about the future of Scott Reef, located off the Kimberley coast in Western Australia. Scott Reef is Australia's most significant offshore reef system and has existed as a coral reef for around 15 million years. It’s a biodiversity hotspot, supporting up to 300 species of coral, around 900 species of fish, genetically unique population of marine turtles, endangered sea snakes and migratory whales. The Browse gas reserve lies directly beneath Scott Reef, any oil and gas development could directly harm the natural values of the reef system.
Image: Scott Reef is a biodiversity hotspot home to up to 300 different species of coral and 900 different species of fish. By: Alex Westover
The impacts of climate change are already being felt across Australia's coral reefs. During the 2024-25 marine heatwave, Western Australia experienced one of the most severe coral bleaching events ever recorded, affecting offshore and fringing reefs from Ashmore Reef in the north to Ningaloo Reef in the south. Tourism icons such as Ningaloo Reef and the Rowley Shoals experienced extreme coral mortality on some reefs.
In addition to its contribution to climate change, the Browse Gas Project poses unacceptable direct risks to Scott Reef and the surrounding marine environment.
1. The proposed development is located within an upwelling system that supports the highly productive Scott Reef ecosystem by circulating nutrient-rich waters.
2. Subsidence could affect Sandy Islet, the only known nesting site at Scott Reef for the genetically distinct Browse/Scott Reef population of Green Turtles (Chelonia mydas). This population nests only on Sandy Islet and nearby Browse Island, making it exceptionally vulnerable to habitat loss. Green Turtles are classified as Extremely Vulnerable under Australia's Recovery Plan for Marine Turtles.
Image: Turtle nesting rookery at Sandy Islet, at Scott Reef. Critical for the Browse/Scott Reef green turtle population. By: Wendy Mitchell
3. Woodside has acknowledged that a major oil spill at Browse would be catastrophic for Scott Reef. Its own modelling indicates that if an oil spill occurred, oil could reach the Kimberley coastline, Indonesia and Timor-Leste. The Kimberley coastline is recognised by scientists as being among the top 4% of the most intact coastlines on Earth.
4. Scott Reef is recognised as a Biologically Important Area for the endangered Pygmy Blue Whale (Balaenoptera musculus brevicauda). Increased underwater noise, vessel traffic and industrial activity associated with Browse could disrupt migration and feeding behaviour.
5. The reef is also one of the last remaining strongholds for the endangered Dusky Sea Snake (Aipysurus fuscus). Any additional industrial pressure on this species should be considered unacceptable.
6. The Western Australian Environmental Protection Authority previously recommended against Browse because of the unacceptable environmental risks posed by the project. Although Woodside has resubmitted its proposal, the changes do not remove the fundamental risks to Scott Reef or marine species.
For these reasons, I strongly support the reconsideration request for the Browse Gas Project to be assessed more comprehensively. The assessment should fully consider the project's climate impacts including damage to the Great Barrier Reef. Given the significant, irreversible and unacceptable environmental risks, I believe the Browse Gas Project should not be approved.
Yours Sincerely,
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