Santos has vowed to “vigorously defend” Federal Court proceedings launched by Tiwi traditional owners over the oil and gas company’s $US4.7 billion Barossa project.
Santos has vowed to “vigorously defend” Federal Court proceedings launched by Tiwi traditional owners over the oil and gas company’s $US4.7 billion Barossa project.
Tiwi traditional owner Simon Munkara yesterday commenced legal action against Santos NA Barossa Pty Ltd in the Federal Court of Australia’s Victoria registry.
Mr Munkara is being represented by Environmental Defenders Office, which released a statement today.
The EDO said Mr Munkara was seeking an urgent injunction to prevent Santos from starting pipeline work until a revised environment plan has been submitted.
In a statement to the market, Santos said it rejected the allegations that there were significant environmental impacts or risks in relation to submerged Tiwi cultural heritage.
“Santos respects the cultural heritage of the Tiwi people and while we understand and respect there are a range of views about the Barossa gas project, we will vigorously defend Federal Court proceedings commenced by the Environmental Defenders Office on behalf of Mr Simon Munkara,” the statement said.
The Barossa gas project sits within the Barossa Field of the Timor Sea, about 300 kilometres off the coast of Darwin and 138km north of the Tiwi Islands.
The gas produced is proposed to be piped from the Timor Sea to the Darwin LNG plant for processing.
In September 2022, the Federal Court overturned the National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority’s approval of Santos’ environmental plan for offshore drilling at Barossa.
The court decision comes after Tiwi traditional owner and elder Dennis Murphy Tipakalippa claimed the Munupi clan and seven other groups on the island were not properly consulted on the project.
Mr Munkara will argue Santos had not properly assessed submerged cultural heritage along the route of the Barossa export pipeline and that the company was relying on an environmental plan that NOPSEMA approved in 2020, the EDO says.
“In this case, Mr Munkara will argue that no work on pipeline installation should commence until all the risks to Tiwi cultural heritage are properly assessed in a revised plan for the activities and that revised plan is considered and determined by NOPSEMA,” EDO’s statement said.
“Tiwi Elders and senior knowledge holders have worked with independent experts to map their connection to their sea country.
"They have mapped locations of important cultural heritage and are worried about the damage the pipeline could do to their songlines, ancestral burial grounds and sites of cultural significance."
Santos said, in its statement, that it had complied with applicable regulations and requirements by NOPSEMA at all times.
“Provided the gas export pipeline pipelay is completed in 2023, and drilling activities commence before the end of the year, guidance to the market on Barossa cost and schedule remains unchanged,” Santos said.
“In the event any injunction is granted, Santos will need to assess any impact on the schedule and cost of the Barossa gas project and will update the market accordingly.”
