EPA Chairman, Paul Vogel said that the EPA’s view of 2003 opposing the location of industry on a class A nature reserve remained unchanged.

Quoting from that report Vogel said, ‘“Given the very high environmental and unique conservation values of Barrow Island, which are reflected in its status as a class A Nature Reserve, it is the view of the EPA that, as a matter of principle, industry should not be located on a nature reserve and specifically not on Barrow Island.”’

Vogel said, “the EPA recognizes that Government approved construction of a smaller gas processing plant on Barrow Island, in 2007 and has therefore assessed the revised and expanded proposal for new and, or, additional risks and impacts to significant environmental assets”

‘The EPA has concluded that the proposal could meet the EPA’s objectives provided stringent conditions are imposed.

‘Furthermore, if recommended conditions are not applied to the project, the EPA has requested that the proposal be remitted back to it for fresh advice.

‘Conditions would be needed to deal with increased potential impacts on one of the most significant flatback turtle rookeries in WA.

‘The primary objective of that condition being achievement of an ‘unaltered light horizon’, compared with the current natural conditions, from the perspectives of both egg-laying female flatback turtles and hatchlings.

‘The EPA has recommended that the Minister for Environment seek advice from the Marine Turtle Expert Panel on how EPA’s objective could be achieved.

‘The EPA also regards the increased potential impacts of dredging and marine infrastructure construction on the high value coral dominated habitat of the Lowendal Shelf as an important issue.

‘However, it is possible that dredging and marine infrastructure construction could meet the EPA’s objectives provided a condition is imposed requiring management according to real time monitoring and that trigger levels for corrective action are based on levels which do not cause coral deaths.

‘Corrective action, including stopping dredging when required, would need to be set out in conditions, following advice to the Minister for Environment by the Construction Dredging Environmental Expert Panel.

‘Also, gas from the Gorgon field is high in carbon dioxide. A fundamental justification by the proponent for using Barrow Island was the need for access to a suitable aquifer beneath the island for long term carbon dioxide storage.

‘If injection and long term storage of the carbon dioxide produced with the gas that is processed at the Gorgon plant is not achieved, for whatever reason, including the introduction of carbon markets, then the decision to permit gas processing on Barrow Island nature reserve should be reconsidered.

‘There are also some aspects of the existing conditions that could benefit from review and clarification by the Expert Panels to ensure that, as far as possible; they contain measurable outcomes that are auditable.

‘Should this occur it would be desirable for there to be one Ministerial Statement dealing with the totality of the Gorgon project.’