Concerns are mounting in Broome about the threat to Scott Reef off the Kimberley coast from Woodside’s Browse Basin proposal for 50 oil and gas wells around the iconic marine biodiversity hotspot.

This morning a gathering of locals requested Kimberley Member of Parliament Divina D’Anna convey their concerns about the proposal to the WA Minister for the Environment Matthew Swinbourn and Premier Roger Cook.

“The community clearly doesn’t want Woodside’s damaging, risky, polluting project that would send most of the gas overseas. There’s only a downside to this proposal for West Australians and our globally significant coastlines,” said Martin Pritchard, Executive Director of Broome-based conservation group Environs Kimberley.

Broome residents gathered to voice concerns about Woodside’s Scott Reef plan. Photo: Wendy Mitchell.

The proposal is under assessment by the WA EPA, and the Cook Labor Government is expected to make a decision in early 2026.

“Scott Reef off the Kimberley coast is a marine biodiversity jewel of the Indian Ocean and is one of Australia’s most important offshore oceanic reefs,” said Mr Pritchard. The reef is a haven for 900 species of fish, 300 coral species, 1,500 species of invertebrates and 29 species of marine mammals including the endangered pygmy blue whale. Sandy Islet, a sandy cay at Scott Reef, is the nesting ground of 1,000 genetically distinct green turtles, any damage to the islet could be catastrophic for the species. If oil and gas is extracted from underneath the reef, Sandy Islet is expected to sink and would no longer be suitable for green turtle nesting.

Locals hold handmade signs asking for protection of Scott Reef. Photo: Wendy Mitchell.

“A major oil spill would be catastrophic for marine life at Scott Reef and we have a nearby example of the Montara oil disaster from 2009 which devastated the West Timor economy and seaweed farmers’ livelihoods. An oil spill of this magnitude is too much of a risk for Scott Reef and the Kimberley coast,” Mr Pritchard said.

The emissions from the Browse oil and gas project would be on a global scale at 1.6 billion tonnes of CO₂ according to Woodside’s reports. This would further fuel climate change which is devastating reefs globally, with the latest coral bleaching covering over 1,500km of the West Australian coast and reefs from Ashmore Reef to Ningaloo.

Gina Rinehart at Australian Bush Summit in Broome

Community call to protect the Kimberley from environmental destruction

Community members held a protest this morning outside the Australian Bush Summit event in Broome where Gina Rinehart was giving a video address.

Ms Rinehart has two pastoral properties in the Kimberley – Liveringa and Fossil Downs – both abut the National Heritage-listed Martuwarra Fitzroy River. Her past calls to take 325 billion litres/year of water out of the river have been met with stiff resistance from the community and Traditional Owners.

More than 43,000 people sent submissions to the WA government in 2021, calling for the protection of the river and groundwater from the type of development proposed by Ms Rinehart.

Concerns have been heightened recently with Ms Rinehart applying for five mining leases on her pastoral interests in the Kimberley.

Community protesting asking Gina Rinehard to not trash the Kimberley. Photo: Environs Kimberley.

Conservation group Environs Kimberley Executive Director Martin Pritchard said:

“The Kimberley is known the world over for its breathtaking landscapes, free-flowing rivers and intact tropical savannahs. The type of development that has been proposed by Ms Rinehart in the past is totally inappropriate and would see the bulldozing of tens of thousands of hectares.”

“The half-a-million visitors that come to the Kimberley every year don’t come to see farmland and mines; they come to see natural landscapes and experience the ancient culture.”

Mr Pritchard said there was also concerns about the critically endangered sawfish that have died on Liveringa station in recent years:

“Liveringa station appears to be a deathtrap for critically endangered sawfish, with 57 known to have died since 2018. We are calling for the artificial infrastructure on the waterway that appears to be trapping these endangered animals to be removed and the site rehabilitated.”

Regarding the applications for mining leases, Mr Pritchard said:

“We’re calling on Ms Rinehart to withdraw these mining leases; we don’t want to see the Kimberley turned into the next Pilbara. If Ms Rinehart doesn’t withdraw these leases then we call on the Cook government to reject them: they extend over waterways and are in the National Heritage-listed area of the West Kimberley – it’s no place for mining.”

The WA government’s new national parks around the Martuwarra Fitzroy River and Margaret River, which are jointly managed with Traditional Owners, are still awaiting final completion. The community is concerned that the finalisation of part two is being held back by Ms Rinehart on Fossil Downs.”

“We want to see the national parks along the Martuwarra Fitzroy River completed without delay, and if Ms Rinehart’s company is holding this back, then we call on the WA government to take back that part of the pastoral lease through compulsory acquisition,” Mr Pritchard said.

“Much of the land proposed for the next part of the national park is useless for cattle and not required as part of the pastoral lease. Ms Rinehart is renting this land from the citizens of Western Australia; she needs to take a responsible approach to the environment and make sure we have decent conservation parks along the Martuwarra Fitzroy River and Margaret River.”

Help protect the critically endangered freshwater sawfish here.

The Australian Government’s Threatened Species Commissioner Ms Fiona Fraser was in Broome recently and visited Environs Kimberley to hear about the important work we are doing to protect threatened species in the Kimberley.

We invited partners Rangelands NRM, Karajarri and Nyangumarta Rangers as well so they could also present their important work in the area. We presented the history of Environs Kimberley and our efforts supporting rangers with threatened species and ecosystem management in the Kimberley for over 16 years - from getting Monsoon Vine Thickets listed as a federally endangered ecosystem, to building capacity and supporting regional surveys and conservation of the Vulnerable Greater Bilby and Endangered Night Parrot.

We finished with important discussion about how the Australian Government plans to better prioritise two-way science projects and Indigenous leadership.

Photo (inset) L to R: Jessica Bolton (Nyangumarta Rangers), Julie Quinn (DCCEW), Chris Curnow (Rangelands NRM), Fiona Fraser (Threatened Species Commissioner, DCCEW), Malcolm Lindsay (EK) and Jesse Ala'i (Karajarri Rangers).

- Article by Dr Malcolm Lindsay, EK's Kimberley Nature Projects Director

Woodside’s Browse oil and gas drilling plan for Scott Reef rejected by EPA

Oil and gas multinational Woodside’s Browse Basin project at Scott Reef with joint venture partners BP, Japan Australia LNG and PetroChina has suffered a huge blow after being rejected by the WA Environmental Protection Authority (EPA).

Congratulations to the EPA for a sensible first step in rejecting a terrible proposal.

Scott Reef. Pic: Alex Westover

The EPA have said the company’s plans to drill 50 oil and gas wells around the globally significant Scott Reef off the Kimberley coast has unacceptable impacts on endangered Blue Whales, be a threat to endangered Green Turtles, and risk pollution and oil spills at the highly biodiverse and fragile reef, according to reports made public today. The EPA considers these risks too high.

Scott Reef is a marine biodiversity hotspot that supports 29 marine mammal species including endangered Blue Whales. Nine hundred species of fish have been found at the reef and 1,500 species of invertebrates, including soft and hard corals, sponges and crustaceans. It is also a hotspot for sea snakes, including the elusive Dusky Sea Snake, which hasn’t been seen since 2002.

Save Scott Reef protest in Broome. Pic: Alex Westover.

“This proposal to drill 50 oil and gas wells around Scott Reef off the Kimberley coast, one of the most important marine hotspots in Australian waters, would be rejected out of hand at the Great Barrier Reef and Ningaloo, so it’s not surprising the WA EPA has rejected it,” said Martin Pritchard, Director of Strategy at Broome-based conservation group Environs Kimberley.  

The WA EPA has been assessing this proposal for 5 years and, in a letter to Woodside, it has been reported that there could be unacceptable impacts on endangered Blue Whales, Green Turtles and the reef itself,” said Mr Pritchard.  

Woodside withdrew its controversial plans for $80 billion LNG refineries on the Kimberley coast at James Price Point in 2013 after fierce opposition from locals and protests across the nation.

“The risks of destroying one of the world’s great coral reefs with oil and gas drilling are clearly too great, and we’re calling on Premier Roger Cook and Environment Minister Reece Whitby to also reject the threat to Scott Reef,” said Mr Pritchard.

It is understood that Woodside now has an opportunity to respond to the EPA, which will make its recommendation to the State Government. Both the State and Federal Governments will then make final decisions on whether or not the Browse project and drilling at Scott Reef can go ahead.