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Parliamentary Questions


Question On Notice No. 193 asked in the Legislative Council on 23 June 2021 by Hon Brad Pettitt

Question Directed to the: Minister for Aboriginal Affairs
Parliament: 41 Session: 1


Question

I refer to section 18 approvals to damage Aboriginal heritage on the Burrup Peninsula under the Aboriginal Heritage Act 1972, and I ask:
(a) does Woodside hold approvals to damage the Aboriginal heritage sites of the Burrup Peninsula as a result of acid gas emissions from liquefied natural gas (LNG) processing;
(b) has Woodside ever applied for a section 18 approval to damage the heritage sites of the Burrup Peninsula as a result of acid gas emissions from LNG processing;
(c) can the Minister please provide a full list and details of any section 18 applications made by Woodside in the Pilbara and advise whether they have been:
(i) approved;
(ii) denied; and
(iii) yet to be decided upon;
(d) can the Minister please provide a full list and details of any section 18 applications that have been made by BHP in the Pilbara and advise whether they have been:
(i) approved;
(ii) denied; and
(iii) yet to be decided upon; and
(e) for each of the approved section 18 applications identified in (c)(i) or (d)(i), can the Minister advise on the current condition of the sites affected by the approval, ie, have they been destroyed, damaged, or do they remain intact?

Answered on 18 August 2021

(a)-(b) Woodside holds two section 18 consents for the development and operation of an LNG plant and all associated infrastructure and facilities.

 

(c) With respect to records prior to 2010, significant resources would be required to retrieve and review hard copy records that relate to section 18 notices. Based on records available from 2010 to June 2021, Woodside has not submitted a section 18 notice relating to the Pilbara.

 

(d) Based on records available from 2010 to June 2021, BHP submitted 29 section 18 notices relating to the Pilbara for various purposes:

·      2010    Conducting all works and activities necessary or convenient for or associated with the planning, construction, installation and operation of railway tracks, power lines and fibre optic cables

·      2010    All things associated with potential open cut iron ore mining operations

·      2010    Development of an onshore natural gas processing plant and associated infrastructure

·      2010    All things associated with potential open cut iron ore mining operations

·      2011    Conducting all works and activities necessary or convenient for or associated with the planning, construction, installation and operation of the infrastructure

·      2011    The onshore component of the Macedon Gas Development including the installation of a wet gas pipeline, the construction of a gas processing plant and temporary construction camp, the construction of an access road and the installation of a sales gas pipeline to a tie-in point in the Dampier to Bunbury Natural Gas Pipeline

·      2012    All things associated with an open cut iron ore mining operation - Portion of ML 244SA

·      2012    All things associated with an open cut iron ore mining operation ML 244SA

·      2012    All things associated with an open cut iron ore mining operation - Portion of mining lease 266SA

·      2012    All things associated with an open cut iron ore mining operation - Portion of ML 281SA

·      2012    All things associated with an open cut iron ore mining operation - Portion of ML 281SA

·      2012    All things associated with the transport, processing, storage and export of iron ore products

·      2013    All things associated with an open cut iron ore mining operation - Portion of ML 281SA

·      2013    All things associated with open cut iron ore mining operations - Portions of ML 244SA

·      2013    All things associated with an open cut mining operation - Portion of ML 281SA

·      2013    All things associated with an open cut iron ore mining operation - Portion of tenement ML 281SA

·      2014    All things associated with open cut iron ore mining operations - Portion of ML 270SA

·      2014    All things associated with open cut iron ore mining operations - Portions of ML 244SA Orebody 32

·      2014    All things associated with open cut iron ore mining operations - Portion of ML 244SA

·      2014    All things associated with open cut iron ore mining operations - Portion of ML 281SA

·      2014    All things associated with open cut iron ore mining operations - Portion of M 270SA

·      2015    All things associated with open cut iron ore mining operations - Portion of ML 281SA

·      2016    All things associated with open cut iron ore mining operations - Tenements ML 281SA, E47/2500, E47/1432 and E47/1767

·      2016    All things associated with open cut iron ore mining operations - Portion of ML 281SA

·      2017    BHP Proposed East Ophthalmia, OB42 and OB43 (Jimblebar Wye) - Portion of ML 244SA

·      2017    All things associated with open cut iron ore mining operations - M 270SA

·      2018    Boogaloo (Shovelanna Orebody 31) open cut iron ore mining operation - Portion of mining tenement ML 244SA

·      2018    BHP South Flank (Mining Area C) - Portion of mining tenements ML 281SA and ML 249SA

·      2020    Mining Area C – South Flank. All things associated with open cut iron ore mining operations. To conduct all works and activities necessary or convenient for or associated with planning, development, operation and decommissioning of large scale open cut iron ore mining and processing operations

(i) 29

(ii) Nil

(iii) Nil

 

(e) Due to time constraints, the Department is unable to provide details on the status of Aboriginal heritage sites affected by previous section 18 consents. If the Honourable Member wishes to narrow or refine his query, it may be possible to provide additional information subject to a review of records.