Source: Straight from the source – August 2025
Statement by AREEA Chief Executive Officer Steve Knott AM
AREEA welcomes today’s Commonwealth approval, granted with conditions, of Woodside Energy’s North West Shelf Extension as a strong step in Australia’s national interest.
This decision follows six years of rigorous assessment and appeals and secures the ongoing operations of a project that has powered Western Australia and international customers for more than four decades.
Over its life the North West Shelf has delivered over $40 billion in royalties and excise, created thousands of highly paid Australian jobs and driven regional development in the Pilbara.
The project remains central to Western Australia’s energy security and economy, supplying a significant share of the state’s domestic gas, supporting hundreds of local businesses and investing heavily in the Karratha community.
It sustains almost 900 direct employees and more than 1,000 contractors, while supporting thousands more jobs across industries that rely on affordable, reliable gas.
Today’s approval provides long-awaited certainty, sending a positive signal boosting investor confidence in Australia’s resources and energy sector.
It further supports our national prosperity ensuring reliable energy, ongoing revenues and enduring employment on Australia’s path towards a balanced energy transition.
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