Skip to main content
Home

Parliamentary Questions


Question Without Notice No. 1271 asked in the Legislative Council on 11 November 2020 by Hon Robin Chapple

Parliament: 40 Session: 1

GORGON GAS PROJECT — CHEVRON PROCESSING FACILITY — FAUNA

1271. Hon ROBIN CHAPPLE to the Minister for Environment:

I refer to Chevron's record of animal deaths on Barrow Island between 2006 and 2014.

(1) Can the minister confirm that the department has received these figures from Chevron, as per its licensing and reporting requirements?

(2) Will the minister please table a comparable document submitted by Chevron for the years 2015 to present?

(3) Is the minister aware that the total animal deaths on the island number 8 384 individuals prior to 2015?

(4) If no to (1), will the minister investigate the issue of mass animal deaths on Barrow Island whilst it has been under the custodianship of Chevron?

Hon STEPHEN DAWSON replied:

I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question. The following response is provided as it relates to obligations under ministerial statements 769 and 800 for the Gorgon gas development and Jansz feed gas pipeline. Questions about fauna reporting for the Barrow Island joint venture operations—WA oil—should be referred to the Minister for Mines and Petroleum.

(1) Ministerial statements 769 and 800 require Chevron Australia to submit a terrestrial and subterranean environment protection plan. The plan outlines the procedures for reporting of threatened or listed fauna cared for, injured or killed within the terrestrial disturbance footprint to the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions. The Department of Water and Environmental Regulation has advised that these requirements have been met. It is not a requirement of these statements to report total animal deaths.

(2) I table a paper that outlines the threatened or listed fauna cared for, injured or killed within the terrestrial disturbance footprint as reported in the environment performance reports from 2015 to 2019.

[See paper 4596.]

(3) DWER has advised that Chevron Australia has reported 2 595 threatened or listed fauna deaths within the terrestrial disturbance footprint as reported in the environmental performance reports for 2010 to 2015.

(4) Not applicable.