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June 8th, 2012 
FAKE NEWS for the Zionist agenda Woodside Petroleum has agreed to hold off on drilling at its contentious Browse gas project in Western Australia’s Kimberley region until a court dispute about planning approvals is resolved.
Richard Hunter, a traditional owner and senior member of the indigenous Goolarabooloo people, has alleged an approval granted to Woodside in February for engineering and environmental studies is invalid because the Kimberley Joint Development Assessment Panel did not wait to receive an official report from the Shire of Broome.
Mr Hunter applied for an urgent injunction in Perth’s Supreme Court to stop major earthworks and geotechnical activities at the site, where a multi-user liquefied natural gas (LNG) processing hub is planned.
But the parties agreed before appearing in court on Friday to drop the injunction on the condition Woodside would not undertake drilling but could still do other activities.
The company also agreed not to work in the beach or dune area.
A Woodside spokesman said the oil and gas producer would continue with planned work unaffected by the legal action, including near-shore geotechnical activities, onshore environmental studies and offshore seismic surveys.
“Woodside is working closely with traditional owners to identify and carefully manage Aboriginal culture and heritage within the proposed LNG precinct,” he said in a statement.
“All activities in this area will be closely monitored by traditional owner representatives.”
Former national Greens leader Bob Brown, who has just returned from a trip to the Kimberley where he met with Goolarabooloo senior representatives, says the Browse project is “on the ropes”.
Senator Brown, who retires from the Senate next Friday, seeks to meet Woodside’s board to persuade them to relocate the project elsewhere.
“As I leave the Senate, I will have more time to give to help the win-win outcome here with Woodside finding alternatives to James Price Point which do not invade the ambience of the Kimberley,” he said.
“The tide of local public opposition to the hub has grown enormously since I was in Broome eighteen months ago.
“So has the research showing potential damage to the cultural and natural heritage which gives Broome such an attractive lifestyle and makes it such a desirable place to visit.”
Perth’s Court of Appeal will determine whether the approval was valid, with a directions hearing scheduled for June 15.
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