The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has decided to accept amendments to the Proposed Browse to North West Shelf Development, determining that the amended proposal would be of substantially the same character as the existing proposal currently under assessment.
The State Waters component of the Woodside Energy Ltd proposal to extract hydrocarbons from the Torosa reservoir, 425km north of Broome, has been under assessment by the independent Authority since 2019.
In May 2025, following the proponent’s request for an amendment under section 43A of the Environmental Protection Act 1986, the independent EPA took the unusual step of publishing the proposed changes for a four-week public comment period.
EPA Chair Darren Walsh said the more than 17,700 submissions received during this consultation were considered by the EPA.
The accepted changes to the proposal under assessment include the prohibition of planned flaring at drilling units during night hours, the exclusion of drill centres within 20km of Sandy Islet, refinement of the proposed development area, and the adoption of technology to minimise the risk of a loss-of-well control event.
Mr Walsh said issues raised by submitters included the uncertainty of the unproven pyrotechnically actuated shear ram technology, and the extent of the reduction of the proposal area around Scott Reef and its impact on marine species such as green turtles and pygmy blue whales.
“The EPA considered the matters raised during consultation as well as the proponent’s responses to submissions and we have concluded that the amendments don’t change the previously identified key environmental factors.” he said. “The amended proposal remains a development to extract hydrocarbons from the Torosa reservoir in Western Australian state waters.”
The EPA will now continue finalising its assessment and when completed will provide its report and recommendations to the Minister for Environment. The EPA’s report will be subject to a three-week public appeal period, after which the Minister will make a final decision on the proposal.
A larger version of the proposal is also the subject of an independent assessment under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Act 1999 by the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water.
EPA Media Contact: Jenni.Storey@dwer.wa.gov.au; 0434 734 997
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