Woodside pledges not to harm gas hub bilbies

Woodside Petroleum has pledged to ensure that no populations of bilbies will be harmed during development of its proposed $30 billion gas hub in the Kimberley.

Conservation group Environs Kimberley yesterday called on Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke to step in and stop bulldozing at the site, 60km north of Broome, after the discovery of bilbies in the area.

Clearing work is under way around the James Price Point site so that geotechnical studies can be carried out for the proposed joint venture gas precinct project, led by Woodside.

Environs Kimberley director Martin Pritchard said Broome residents had captured footage of a bilby at the weekend and the threatened marsupials were living in burrows in areas slated for bulldozing.

Mr Pritchard said the bilby was found outside the proposed gas precinct site but within an area where land-clearing permits had been granted for the geotechnical studies.

Ecologist Malcolm Lindsay said his survey at the weekend turned up fresh tracks and multiple burrows that confirmed there was a healthy population of bilbies north of the proposed precinct.

Mr Lindsay said there were old burrows within the proposed precinct and the animals would probably recolonise that area over time unless prevented from doing so.

Woodside said in a statement on Tuesday that it acknowledged that bilbies were likely to be found throughout the Dampier Peninsula.

“Environmental consultants have conducted numerous surveys in and around the proposed LNG precinct area and found no distinct populations or colonies of bilbies,” the statement said.

“These surveys have used a range of techniques including motion sensor cameras, trapping and transect walks.”

Woodside said it would seek further information from Environs Kimberley to determine the exact location of the reported bilby population sighted north of the precinct area.

“We would be keen to conduct further surveys to document any bilby population in the area and ensure it is not impacted by Woodside’s proposed development,” it said.

Mr Burke is considering his approval for the project through the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act.

The joint venture partners for the proposed gas hub have yet to finally sign off on the project.