Gorgon gets final WA approval

State Environment Minister Donna Faragher has given final environmental approval for Chevron's $50 billion Gorgon gas development on Barrow Island, with federal approval the remaining regulatory hurdle.

Assuming that is granted, Chevron and its joint venture partners are tipped to approve the $50 billion project next month.

Chevron Australia managing director Roy Krzywosinski today welcomed the "timely approval".

"This has been a rigorous and thorough assessment that has culminated with some of the most stringent conditions imposed on a major project anywhere in the world.

"These conditions reflect the Gorgon Joint Venture Participants' commitment to safeguarding Barrow Island's conservation values."

Conditions to be complied with by the project include:

- The provision of an additional $30 million to the existing $32.5 million commitment to establish a North West Shelf Flatback Turtle Conservation Program which includes activities to survey, monitor and research turtle populations. The program's timing has also been extended from 30 years to the life of the Project.

- An additional $20 million to be allocated to the Project's existing $40 million Net Conservation Benefits program to add to or improve biodiversity conservation values targeting, where possible, the biodiversity conservation values affected or occurring in similar bioregions to Barrow Island.

The Gorgon Joint Venture is committing a total of approximately $190 million in environmental offsets and Net Conservation Benefits.

Mr Krzywosinski added, "The Gorgon Project is Australia's single largest resource project and is set to deliver significant economic benefits and create thousands of jobs.

"The Federal Government can now proceed to finalise the environmental approval process which will allow for a final investment decision by the Gorgon Joint Venture participants," said Krzywosinski.

The Gorgon Project is operated by the Australian subsidiary of Chevron (50%) in joint venture with Australian subsidiaries of ExxonMobil (25%) and Shell (25%). The project's scope includes three, five million tonne per annum LNG trains; one of the world's largest carbon dioxide injection projects; and a domestic gas plant.

The Minister's announcement is below:

Environment Minister Donna Faragher has given final environmental approval for the proposed Gorgon gas development on Barrow Island.

Final approval for the revised and expanded project was granted with strong, new environmental conditions to provide higher levels of protection for regionally significant coral reefs and flatback marine turtles.

Approval also follows Mrs Faragher's consultation with other decision makers, namely the State Development, Mines and Petroleum and Lands Ministers as required under the Environmental Protection Act 1986.

Significantly, the environmental conditions governing the project ensure:
- that coral lost due to dredging will continue to be confined to three per cent of the total coral area off the east coast of Barrow Island
- that monitoring is extended to significant coral reef outcrops outside impact zones
- artificial light emissions will be minimised to protect the local population of flatback marine turtles
- an extension of the turtle conservation program from 30 years to the total life of the project
- noise emissions to be incorporated into the long-term marine turtle management plan and other plans as required
- a requirement for the proponent to continue monitoring for subterranean fauna.

It is the first time that management of light emissions has been required as a project condition.

"Given the value of Barrow Island as a habitat for flatback turtles, this requirement is aimed at minimising light emissions and hence impact on the turtles," Mrs Faragher said.

"In addition, I have required that the proponent's undertakings on the flatback turtle intervention program are incorporated into the project conditions. This will require the proponent to enhance the turtle population through means such as establishing hatcheries should the island's turtle numbers show decline."