Federal Court halts Santos pipeline to $5.8b Barossa gas site
Santos has been prevented from starting work on a 292-kilometre pipeline to its $5.8 billion Barossa gas project in the Timor Sea after the Federal Court agreed to suspend the project until it can consider an argument from Tiwi Islanders that its cultural impact has not been properly assessed.
The Federal Court on Thursday granted the interim injunction sought, preventing “any activity” on the export pipeline. It will remain in place until November 13 when the court will decide whether to grant a full injunction.
Santos’ attempts to begin work on the Northern Territory gas project have been frustrated by legal claims.
Indigenous groups, with the assistance of environmental activists, have already frustrated Santos’ attempt to begin work on the Barossa gas project in the Northern Territory, while a similar court ruling have delayed work on Woodside Energy’s Scarborough development in Western Australia.
The Tiwi Islands traditional owners sought an urgent injunction on Tuesday night, arguing that work should be paused until Santos assesses new evidence showing the cultural heritage risks posed by the pipeline. Santos has had a ship in Darwin ready to start the pipe-laying work.
Fiona Batten, a lawyer with the Environmental Defenders Office, was acting for Simon Munkara, a traditional owner. Ms Batten asked the Federal Court for an injunction to stall pipeline construction until Santos had submitted a new environment plan to the offshore regulator, the National Offshore Petroleum Safety Management Authority incorporating the fresh evidence.
Santos submitted its environment plan in February 2020, and said last month it would go ahead with laying the pipeline after completing a demand from NOPSEMA to check for underwater
Read more on afr.com
