The extension would fly in the face in the face of calls by the world's scientists, the International Energy Agency, United Nations and Pacific nations to stop approving new gas projects, and will make heatwaves, fires and floods more frequent and extreme in WA and the rest of the world.
Approval would expose WA's domestic gas market to global gas prices, repeating the policies that have created havoc in east coast markets. This would permanently increase both gas and electricity bills for households and businesses in WA.
"Woodside is asking for a 50-year extension of one of the largest fossil fuel projects in the world," said Mark Ogge, Principal Adviser at The Australia Institute.
"This decision would add billions of tonnes of emissions into our atmosphere, making heatwaves, droughts and floods more frequent and extreme in WA and the rest of the world.
"If the WA Government caves into lobbying from the gas industry it will expose WA consumers to global prices.
"This would be a repeat of the mistake of east coast governments a decade ago that led to chaos in east coast markets.
"Western Australian households and businesses will pay with higher energy bills for decades if the government kowtows to Woodside."
