Tiwi people argued they should have been consulted before a massive gas drilling project started near their island, the Federal Court of Australia ruled.
The ruling could slow other offshore projects.
A group of indigenous hailed a âhistoric decisionâ by the countryâs Federal Court on Friday to delay plans for a massive gas project in the Timor Sea.
Dennis Tipakalippa, a Munupi clan elder from the remote Tiwi Islands, has been fighting a legal battle against oil and gas producer, Santos, who has been drilling for gas off northern Australia.
âWe have fought to protect our sea country from the beginning to the end and we will never stop fighting,â Tipakalippa said.
Santos, one of the countryâs largest oil and gas producers, said it would apply for fresh approvals for the $3.6 billion (âŹ3.41 billion) Barossa gas project.
New âobstaclesâ for offshore gas projects
In September, a court revoked environmental approval for the project after Tipakalippa and the Munupi clan raised concerns that it could wreck important ocean food sources, and blight their connection to a spiritually significant area.
Santos appealed the judgment, but three Federal Court judges ruled on Friday that the company had not consulted all the indigenous people on the Tiwi Islands that should have been contacted about the environmental plan.
The courtâs decision means all offshore developers will have to consult a wide range of groups when seeking regulatory approvals. This would include groups with cultural interests.
âSantos and every other gas company must take note that this is our country and we must be consulted,â Tipakalippa said.
In turn, industry representatives were
âThere is now the risk of more delays and obstacles in the progression of important energy projects,â Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association Chief Executive Samantha McCulloch said.
Munupi clan hope for permanent end to offshore gas drilling
The Barossa gas field is about 140 kilometers (87 miles) north of the Tiwi Islands.
Santos would now need to seek new approvals before drilling. Despite the setback, the company expressed confidence that the exploitation of the field could start as early as 2025.
But Alina Leikin, a lawyer at the Environmental Defenders Office, who represented Tipakalippa and the Tiwi Island community, said they hoped the National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority would permanently stop the project.
âThe community are hopeful that the regulator and Santos will understand and appreciate the depth of their concern and their desire to protect their Sea Country and wonât go ahead with this drilling,â Leikin said.âThe community are hopeful that the regulator and Santos will understand and appreciate the depth of their concern and their desire to protect their Sea Country and wonât go ahead with this drilling,â Leikin said.
Source: Popularresistance.org
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