Overview

• The Australian Conservation Foundation and Friends of Australian Rock Art filed separate Federal Court cases seeking to overturn Minister Murray Watt’s approval to extend the hub’s life to 2070.
• The minister granted final approval last month after negotiations that produced weakened conditions, according to the government’s published statement of reasons.
• ACF alleges the approval relied on Browse’s projected benefits, skipped key details about the gas and pollution to be processed, and treated climate impacts as irrelevant.
• FARA argues the minister failed to properly weigh economic and social harms from ongoing damage to Murujuga’s World Heritage‑listed rock art, while it pursues a parallel WA Supreme Court case.
• The minister accepted departmental advice of significant adverse impacts on the rock art but called the final conditions stringent, as Woodside vows to vigorously defend the approval and the minister declines further comment.