These emissions pose a significant threat to the Murujuga rock art gallery, which is home to over one million ancient petroglyphs, raising alarms among conservationists.

In response to these developments, protesters have gathered outside the office of Perth Labor MP Patrick Gorman, calling for the federal government to retract its provisional approval of Woodside's proposal.

Woodside has also received additional time to respond to Commonwealth conditions regarding its North West Shelf extension proposal, which was originally due on June 13, 2025.

Watt, who is currently attending the UN’s Ocean Conference in France, noted that it is common for projects to take longer to meet conditions, highlighting the need to balance job creation with environmental protection.

Environment Minister Murray Watt has approved an extension for Woodside's North West Shelf assets, allowing operations to continue from the 2030s to the 2070s after a thorough six-year assessment by the Western Australia government.

A Woodside spokeswoman confirmed that the company is engaging in constructive discussions with the Commonwealth regarding proposed conditions that focus on cultural heritage management and air quality.

However, environmental groups have raised serious concerns about the emissions from the Browse project, which they estimate could reach up to 1.6 billion tonnes over its lifetime, potentially jeopardizing Australia's commitments under the Paris Agreement.

In light of these environmental concerns, the UNESCO World Heritage Council is anticipated to reject Australia's bid to designate Murujuga as a World Heritage site.

While a recent monitoring report indicated no current impact from industrial emissions on rock art, critics challenge the government's interpretation of this data.

The conditions imposed by Minister Watt particularly emphasize the potential impact on ancient Aboriginal rock art located on the Burrup Peninsula in Western Australia.

This extension is crucial for Woodside's Burrup Hub plans, which include a significant $30 billion project aimed at extracting gas from the Browse basin and processing it at the Karratha facility.