{"id":232593,"date":"2025-05-09T11:10:12","date_gmt":"2025-05-09T11:10:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peraltafinancing.com\/activist\/woodside-dodges-accountability-as-protesters-disrupt-agm-over-toxic-burrup-hub\/"},"modified":"2025-05-09T11:10:12","modified_gmt":"2025-05-09T11:10:12","slug":"woodside-dodges-accountability-as-protesters-disrupt-agm-over-toxic-burrup-hub","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=232593","title":{"rendered":"Woodside Dodges Accountability as Protesters Disrupt AGM Over Toxic Burrup Hub"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n<\/p>\n
\nProtesters outside Woodside\u2019s AGM 2025 in Perth, Western Australia. \u00a9 Nancye \/ Miles Tweedie Photography<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
WA does not want Woodside!<\/h2>\n
It\u2019s only 5 days after a very exhausting federal election campaign and hundreds of WA\u2019s finest protesters braved an unseasonably warm autumn morning to join Greenpeace in calling out Woodside at their Annual General Meeting. <\/p>\n
A colourful crowd, directly showing the shareholders of Woodside that Western Australia will not stand for Woodside\u2019s Burrup Hub and will fight to protect Scott Reef and its vital sea life.\u00a0<\/p>\n
As we gathered outside Woodside\u2019s AGM I reflected on the joys of the WA Burrup Hub protest movement. Given how long this campaign has dragged on, the culture that has sprung up around protesting is truly something to behold.<\/p>\n
The Drummers for Climate Action bringing their mismatched and yet perfectly tuned bucket\/drums out of their cars with practiced ease while the newer 1\u00d73 metre Scott Reef on wheels (Allura) is carefully unloaded from the truck. All the while 8 foot effigies of both Federal Minister Madeleine King and WA Premier Roger Cook loom over in the park. WA was out in force.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Everyone came together in full regalia for the march with the rousing call made for everyone to \u201cfollow Nicki \u201cas I was handed the megaphone and ushered to the front of the march. <\/p>\n
I have to announce at this point that I have a broken foot *awaits sympathy* and am struggling along through life in a moon boot with a decided lack of rhythm and skill. So there I was hobbling down the street, brave slightly confused protesters following behind in an unusually slow procession as I attempted to make up marching chants.\u00a0<\/p>\nProtesters outside Woodside\u2019s AGM 2025 in Perth, Western Australia. \u00a9 Nancye \/ Miles Tweedie Photography<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Holding Woodside to Account<\/h2>\n
All the while the party had truly begun inside the AGM. At the AGM, Woodside has to answer questions from their shareholders. Every year the WA environmental movement organises proxies to gain access and ask questions to hold Woodside accountable. <\/p>\n
There is also a swath of hijinks that go on, and this year was no different. We had different people standing up and \u201cblowing the climate whistle\u201d every time Woodside CEO Meg O\u2019Niell spoke (in response, the CEO would play promotional videos about the Fremantle Dockers football team whom Woodside sponsor<\/em>). The place was a circus.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When Greenpeace CEO David Ritter stood up to ask a question, he revealed that Woodside was under investigation by the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) for potentially breaching the EPBC Act. Specifically, that they have started processing third party gas at the Karratha Gas Plant before apparently receiving federal environmental approval to do so. Despite the ongoing investigation, Woodside has continued to process the third party gas unabated.\u00a0<\/p>\nProfessor Fiona Stanley AC and Greenpeace CEO David Ritter with the press pack outside the Woodside AGM in Perth. \u00a9 Nancye \/ Miles Tweedie Photography<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
When asked, \u201cWhy does Woodside believe that it is above our nation\u2019s environmental laws?\u201d<\/strong> Woodside Chair Richard Goyder began complaining about Greenpeace\u2019s conduct rather than providing an adequate answer.<\/p>\n
Our other Greenpeace representative Geoff Bice, also attempted to ask the following question: \u201cWoodside wants to start carbon dumping, a potentially dangerous and unreliable activity unproven at scale, beside Western Australia\u2019s stunningly diverse Scott Reef. This plan could include repeated seismic blasting every 5 years inside critical habitat for the endangered pygmy blue whale. Yet, Woodside refused to refer the proposal to the state for environmental approval. Why would you deny Western Australians the opportunity to provide comment as to whether they think this risky proposal stacks up against the state\u2019s environmental laws?\u201d<\/p>\n
Unfortunately Geoff\u2019s microphone was cut off half way through the first sentence by the testy Woodside Chair. But be assured, Greenpeace, in partnership with the Conservation Council of WA have made the referral to the WA EPA ourselves requesting that Woodside provide a proper account of the impacts to WA oceans that their carbon dumping will entail.<\/p>\n
A Notable Contribution<\/h2>\n
At least Geoff got half a sentence out. A number of others in the room were denied the chance to ask their questions at all, despite some having travelled from the east coast for that purpose. They could not, however, deny WA legend Professor Fiona Stanley AC, former Australian of the Year who\u2019s work in the epidemiology world is so prolific she has a hospital named after her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Professor Stanley has a long held concern about the impacts of climate change and asked how Woodside intends to deal with the health impacts of their polluting activities based on the growing evidence of harm caused by fossil fuels. Woodside CEO Meg O\u2019Neill responded by suggesting that Woodside was helping people in poverty around the world by giving them access to gas rather than wood to cook with. I highly doubt Professor Stanley was satisfied with that answer.<\/p>\n
Keeping the Pressure up on Woodside<\/h2>\n
In the end the day ran exactly like Woodside\u2019s environmental strategy: chaotic, ineffective and insulting. But it\u2019s obvious that resistance to their damaging plans are going to continue.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And continue it must.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
With a new Federal Government fresh off a resounding election win that included a clear mandate for further climate action, the Albanese Labor Government will have an immediate test with Woodside\u2019s North West Shelf decision due at the end of this month. We cannot let this key component of Woodside\u2019s disastrous Burrup Hub be extended out to 2070 and pave the way for gas drilling near Scott Reef.<\/p>\n
Greenpeace is determined to protect our oceans and our climate from Woodside\u2019s Burrup Hub but it takes a broad movement of dedicated people to create change. Make sure you are one of them in whatever way you can.<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
![\"Protesters](\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org.au\/static\/planet4-australiapacific-stateless\/2025\/05\/75edd32e-milestweedie_nancye_ccwawoodsideagm2025-3971-1024x683.jpg\")
![\"Protesters](\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org.au\/static\/planet4-australiapacific-stateless\/2025\/05\/dcf7dd85-milestweedie_nancye_ccwawoodsideagm2025-4025-milestweedie-1024x683.jpg\")
![\"Professor](\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org.au\/static\/planet4-australiapacific-stateless\/2025\/05\/8c6dea1b-milestweedie_nancye_ccwawoodsideagm2025-3236-milestweedie-1024x683.jpg\")
![\"Coal](\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org.au\/static\/planet4-australiapacific-stateless\/2024\/08\/66f2daab-gp0stpqhm-1024x683.jpg\" "\\"Coal")
<\/p>\n![\"Greenpeace](\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org.au\/static\/planet4-australiapacific-stateless\/2024\/11\/a763dcd3-greenpeace-oceania-vessel-1024x768.jpg\" "\\"Greenpeace")
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