Woodside’s relentless efforts to industrialise Scott Reef

Federal Environment Minister Murray Watt must put an end to Woodside’s relentless efforts to industrialise Australia’s most important oceanic tropical coral reef system, Scott Reef, located off the Kimberley coast.

Documents released by NOPSEMA today outline Woodside’s plans to undertake an invasive geophysical and geotechnical survey at Scott Reef, potentially lasting up to 90 days.

Woodside’s documents state that the survey will gather data to identify optimal pipeline routes, suitable anchoring locations for Mobile Offshore Drilling Units (MODUs), and inform the project’s Front-End Engineering and Design (FEED).

This survey attempts another step towards the industrialisation of a living coral reef system by Woodside. Prolonged vessel operations and underwater noise associated with the survey risk disturbing already threatened and endangered marine wildlife that rely on the Scott Reef system.

Image: Endangered Pygmy Blue Whale By Wendy Mitchell

The below comments are attributable to Environs Kimberley’s spokesperson - Wendy Mitchell

“Scott Reef is one of Australia’s most important oceanic tropical reef system, home to thousands of marine species including multiple threatened and endangered species such as the Pygmy Blue Whale and hundreds of different corals.”

“This new Woodside new proposal for seismic testing represents death by a thousand cuts for this extraordinary ecosystem. This geophysical and geotechnical survey is adding damage to what could become the long-term industrialisation of a 15-million-year-old reef.”

“Federal Environment Minister Murray Watt must put an end to this as soon as possible, we should be protecting our coral reefs, not sacrificing them to industrialisation.”

Image: Shallow lagoon corals at Scott Reef By: Nush Freedman