The Environmental Protection Authority will visit Broome and the proposed Browse Liquefied Natural Gas Precinct at James Price Point today, ahead of making a recommendation on the project to the Minister for Environment.
EPA Chairman Paul Vogel said as with most site visits, the board would also meet with community members.
“Visiting the proposed site and discussing the issues with community members that support and those that oppose the project is vital,” Dr Vogel said.
“Making an informed decision is a responsibility board members and I take very seriously and we will use all the environmental information that has been gathered and our collective experience to make the best judgment that we can.”
The EPA will spend today and tomorrow morning meeting with representatives from a cross-section of the community, including the Shire of Broome, Goolarabooloo Jabirr Jabirr and Goolarabooloo Traditional Owners, Environs Kimberley, the Kimberley Land Council and the Save the Kimberley Group.
“We are looking forward to giving stakeholders the opportunity to share their views on the environmental issues relevant to the proposal,” Dr Vogel said.
The Browse LNG proposal is the most significant strategic environmental impact assessment ever undertaken under the Environmental Protection Act.
In 2008, the Northern Development Taskforce (NDT) short-listed four potential sites from more than 40 suggested locations for a multi-user LNG precinct to process gas resources from the Browse Basin.
Of the four sites considered, the EPA recommended that environmental risks and impacts at James Price Point, north of Broome on the Dampier Peninsula, were likely to be manageable based on the available data.
“It is important to remember that in making this recommendation, the EPA not only considered the attributes of the short-listed sites but also the wider environmental benefits of a single site,” Dr Vogel said.
The EPA has been assessing the environmental acceptability of the precinct or ‘Ultimate Development Plan’, which aims to produce 50 million tonnes of LNG per annum.
The precinct will allow multiple users to be co-located on a single site, rather than having gas developments spread along the Kimberley coast, reducing cumulative environmental impacts.
Should the LNG precinct be recommended for approval, the EPA will also recommend conditions that should be applied to specific, future LNG projects within the precinct.
Board members Dr Chris Whitaker, Dr Rod Lukatelich and Denis Glennon will accompany Dr Vogel during this visit.
New EPA member Elizabeth Carr, who previously worked for the proponent, the Department of State Development, will not take part in the visit or in any discussions or decisions on the proposal.
EPA Media contact: Nadia Miraudo, 0400 866 450
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