“The connections of the song lines that sit within the stories on the ancient rock art in Murujuga, are connected throughout many of Australia’s sacred sites. The stories from these sites are ceremonial points for first nations men and women to practice our cultural lore and maintain longevity and sustainability to all life on mother earth. When there are disruptions in these song lines such as interruptions of sea country and land, caused by drilling and blasting seabeds and extraction of gas and other resources, it causes life threatening emissions and pollution of waterways. It is critical to maintain clean water and air for the health of all the people and plants and animals in the surrounding areas and beyond.”
The Scarborough Gas Project feeds into the larger Burrup Hub precinct, which poses a significant threat to a sensitive reef marine ecosystem, home to migratory pygmy blue whales, sea turtles and hundreds of fish and invertebrate species in the region.
The company in charge, Woodside Energy, has failed to achieve the Free, Prior and Informed consent of Indigenous people on whose land and sea country the projects would take place, having signed local communities up to an agreement that bans them from criticizing the projects or litigating against them, in violation of their internationally recognised human rights.
There are concerns that nitric acid emissions from the LNG processing facility are causing erosion to a collection of ancient, world-famous petroglyphs, Murujuga rock art. Woodside admitted to removing the Murujaga rock art.
The company has also urged a state crackdown on environmental defenders, and successfully pressured the Western Australian Government through an advertising campaign to abandon greenhouse gas regulations. Woodside holds the world record investor vote in opposing its climate strategy due to the severe disjunct between their plans and what the climate science requires, with 58% of shares having been voted against its “Say on Climate” vote in 2024, and record votes against company directors.
