Peter Dutton has accused the government of throwing sand in the gears of resources projects, as reports emerge of environmental challenges facing Woodside Energy’s Browse development.
Peter Dutton has accused the government of throwing sand in the gears of resources projects, as reports emerge of environmental challenges facing Woodside Energy’s Browse development.
On a flying visit to Kalgoorlie for the first morning of the Diggers & Dealers Mining Forum, the federal opposition leader said convoluted approvals were strangling the resources sector.
The comments came after WAtoday reported the state’s Environmental Protection Authority had suggested to Woodside that Browse might be rejected on the grounds of its potential impact to marine life and coral.
The multi-billion-dollar project was discovered in 1971 but is yet to receive investment commitment and faces increased scrutiny in the current regulatory environment.
Asked about the Woodside situation, Mr Dutton pointed the finger at Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who he said was “using environmental rules to throw sand in the gears” of resources projects to appease voters in “inner city Sydney and Melbourne”.
He did not comment specifically on Browse.
Mr Dutton appearance at the sidelines of the annual mining forum was unexpected, but the opposition leader said he had used the visit to speak to those in the critical minerals sector about the challenges they face.
A vocal opponent of the critical minerals tax credits announced by the government in May’s federal budget, Mr Dutton appeared to temper his stance on the initiative but was adamant there were more effective ways of supporting the resources sector.
“We’ve had a respectful discussion with a number of significant players at different companies since the budget,” he said of the tax credits.
“There are some who are in favour, some who are against it, and some who advocate for a better way to support and assistance to be provided.
“In the end, we’ve got finite tax dollars.
“I would make sure that we can provide support, particularly through the approvals processes, because the one common denominator in all of these discussions, and one of the huge frustrations from the mining companies, is that they just can’t get approvals.”
The commentary doubled down on Mr Dutton’s stance pitched to attendees of a critical minerals charity event in Perth on Friday, and is emerging as a policy platform with a federal election in the not-to-distant future.
Another more contentious agenda of the Dutton opposition is its support for the development of a nuclear energy industry in Australia – including an uncosted power plant a Collie which doesn’t have the support of the local branch of the party.
Mr Dutton said Kalgoorlie was not being considered as a potential alternate site for such a facility.
He also called for the federal government to lobby the state to lift its ban on uranium mining – in line with the policy position set by WA Liberal leader Libby Mettam earlier this year.
“I think the federal government should be working closely with the state and territory authorities and trying to find a synergy wherever they can,” he said.
“It’s not just in WA’s interest because of the royalties, it’s in the country’s interest, because we don’t pay for schools and hospitals and the NDIS and the aged care system, and our intelligence agencies, without mining royalties and taxes.”
Earlier in the morning former Labor defence minister Kim Beazley – previously a nuclear advocate – refused to be drawn on his stance around WA’s uranium mining ban.
Mr Beazley’s daughter Hannah is now a minister in the WA Labor government which put the ban in place in 2017.
