WA Premier's gas fracking comments spark industry-conservation clash

The prospect of gas fracking in Western Australia's north has opened a fresh fault line between industry and conservation groups.

Premier Roger Cook said Western Australia could be forced to allow fracking in the Kimberley region if Woodside Energy's $30 billion offshore Browse project was not developed and the state was left short of gas.

Mr Cook told the Australian Financial Review that WA had a "Browse-sized hole" in its future energy needs, and renewable sources would not be able to replace the gas needed to meet demand from households and heavy industry.

"People need to be realistic about how we maintain our standard of living and how we can continue to be an economic powerhouse," he told the publication.

The mining sector welcomed Mr Cook's remarks, with the Chamber of Minerals and Energy saying gas and the proposed Browse development were critical to WA's energy security.

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But the premier's comments triggered an avalanche of criticism from environmental groups.

The Conservation Council said WA was not facing a gas supply problem, but it did have a gas export problem.

"The government has a choice: make the gas industry deliver the gas they already owe us and is readily available, or let them destroy precious places like Scott Reef and the Kimberley," executive director Matt Roberts said.

"Gas companies are meant to reserve 15 per cent of their gas for the domestic market, but deliver little more than half of that."

Greens MP Sophie McNeill called the premier's comments "environmental blackmail".

"This is disgusting. He is saying that if my mates at Woodside don't get approval to destroy this reef for their massive new gas field, that I'm going to destroy the Kimberley with fracking — what a complete disgrace," she said.

Conservation groups are challenging the federal environment minister's North West Shelf Project extension approval in the Federal Court.

Environmental groups have also lodged a judicial review challenge in the Supreme Court.

Deputy backs premier

Deputy Premier Rita Saffioti backed the premier's comments that something needed to be done to address a projected looming gas shortfall in the 2030s.

She said the Browse project was a key part of that.

"Post-2032, we need to make sure we have ongoing gas supply," Ms Saffioti said.

"These projects take a long time to get up. They don't get up overnight.

"So you've always got to be planning for the future. And so planning for the future means we need to continue to support new supplies of gas, like Browse."

'Oversimplification' of issues

Energy analyst Kevin Morrison said framing the issue as a choice between Browse gas or Kimberley fracking was an oversimplification.

He argued fracking proposals in the region had faced basic challenges such as a lack of water supply in a desert environment.

“It's not as if you can just turn up with a drill and you've found gas and you can sell it. It's not easy as that. So, I’d question those throwaway lines," he said.

Mr Morrison said if the government was worried about domestic gas shortages, it should instead strengthen enforcement of WA’s gas reservation policy, given current compliance levels were well below the 15 per cent target.

Fracking ban lifted

In 2018 the then McGowan government lifted the state's moratorium on fracking, allowing it in certain parts of the state including the Kimberley, but excluding national parks.

It sparked widespread protests by environmental groups and concern from some traditional owners about the long-term impacts.

At the time the government promised to introduce veto rights for traditional owners and the owners of freehold land, but the legislation is yet to be passed.

Meanwhile, Texan oil and gas company Black Mountain has applied for a permit to frack in the Kimberley, which has been approved by the Environmental Protection Agency and is awaiting a final sign-off by Environment Minister Matthew Swinbourne.