Many grey nomads who have camped, fished and swam on the Kimberley’s pristine Dampier Peninsula will be among those celebrating the shelving of plans to build a giant gas hub there.
Woodside Petroleum says it will no longer go ahead with the controversial $45 billion project at James Price Point, north of Broome, saying the Browse LNG development doesn’t meet its commercial requirements for a positive final investment decision.
While most environmentalists and travellers will be delighted by the news, the state government and unions say it means a lost economic opportunity.
The long saga surrounding the decision on whether the hub would eventually go ahead on one of the region’s most idyllic and pristine stretches of coastline sparked major conflict in Broome, an iconic grey nomad destination once synonymous with tranquility and relaxation.
The project was potentially bigger than the North West Shelf, Australia’s largest oil and gas development.
According to the ABC, Woodside now says it will be looking at other options including a floating gas facility, a pipeline to existing LNG facilities in the Pilbara, or a smaller onshore option.
“This was going to be the biggest non-government industrial project in the history of Australia, built in one of the last remaining wilderness areas in the world,” environmentalist Geoffrey Cousins told the ABC. “So it was just entirely inappropriate and, from that point of view, I’m delighted that it won’t go ahead at James Price Point.”
Have you ever camped at James Price Point or travelled up to Cape Leveque? Are you pleased that the gas hub plans have been shelved? In this instance, was the price of progress just too high? Comment below.
