A liquefied natural gas project proposed by Chevron in Western Australia’s Pilbara region will go ahead after the Federal Government approved the projet under national environmental law.

 

Environment Minister Tony Burke announced that following a rigorous assessment he had approved Chevron’s proposed Wheatstone liquefied natural gas project under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, with strict conditions.

 

Chevron will be required to adhere to 70 conditions, including submitting for federal approval a range of plans and programs detailing how it would protect matters of national environmental significance protected under the EPBC Act and implement a biodiversity offset strategy.

 

"Chevron will be required to submit for my approval a range of plans and programs detailing how the project impacts on protected matters will be minimised,” Mr Burke said.

 

"Any seismic activity that takes place will do so in accordance with best-practice seismic guidelines that include exclusion zones, avoidance measures and ‘soft start’ procedures.

 

"Chevron must develop a program to manage discharge from both onshore and offshore infrastructure and accommodation facilities and throughout the production process to ensure matters of national environmental significance are protected.

 

Chevron has agreed that Wheatstone project staff will be trained and adhere to a comprehensive Code of Conduct, around the importance of the environment around them, recognising that there will be a significant increase in number of people in the region as a result of the project.

 

The proposed Wheatstone project is south-west of Onslow in the Pilbara and would be among Australia’s largest resource projects. 

For more information about the Wheatstone project proposal environmental approval decision go to http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/epbc/epbc_ap.pl?name=current_referral_detail&proposal_id=4469.