Overview
- WA premier Roger Cook told the Australian Financial Review that the state faces a "Browse-sized hole" in energy supply and suggested onshore fracking in the Canning Basin could be an alternative if Woodside’s Browse offshore project does not proceed.
- Environment groups and the WA Greens condemned the comment, with Sophie McNeill calling it "environmental blackmail" and campaigners saying public consent for new gas projects in places like the Kimberley or Scott Reef is evaporating.
- Greenpeace and other advocates pointed to gaps in domestic gas rules and said Woodside has supplied just 3.4% of domestic gas from its Pluto facility since 2017 versus a claimed 15% expectation, arguing companies should meet local supply obligations before new developments proceed.
- The Browse proposal remains under federal environmental review with a decision expected this year, and industry voices including federal Opposition leader Angus Taylor are pushing for faster approvals and more oil and gas production under state control.
- The dispute could affect the timing of new projects, the pace of renewable investment and local communities’ lives, with critics warning that approving Browse may delay renewable build-out while proponents say more gas is needed for households and heavy industry.