The state’s environment watchdog has recommended greater independence for the panels advising Chevron and the state on turtle and quarantine management at the Gorgon gas project.
The state’s environment watchdog has recommended greater independence for the panels advising Chevron and the state on turtle and quarantine management at the Gorgon gas project.
Expert panels advising on management of marine turtles and quarantine have been set up and are funded by Chevron as a condition of its state approvals to operate on Barrow Island – a Class-A nature reserve in a marine turtle nesting area.
The panels have been the subject of review by the Environmental Protection Authority at the request of the state, with findings released today.
Measured against best practice, the EPA identified issues with the inclusion of Chevron and government representatives on both panels – membership allowed under current frameworks which it said challenged the ability for the scientific panels to be impartial.
Both panels include multiple Chevron representatives, as well as federal government agency subject matter experts and independent experts.
Flagging a risk of development goals being prioritised over scientific findings, the EPA called for amendments to the conditions guiding the makeup of the expert panels.
“Scientific expert panels need to operate effectively and independently, and the governance of the panels should include the integration of science and policy, the management of conflicts of interest, and the accountability of members/observers,” the EPA wrote.
“These elements are critical in maintaining the credibility and effectiveness of the panels in providing advice into the regulatory decision-making process and the management of environmental impacts.”
The EPA recommended the approval conditions be tweaked so representatives of both Chevron and environmental regulators can be included as observers, but not members, of the panels.
The authority also found a lack of public information on Chevron’s panels, with membership lists and terms of reference out of date and additional information available on a “limited and sporadic” basis.
The marine turtle expert panel list featured on Chevron’s website was last updated in July 2023, while the quarantine expert panel list was updated in February this year.
The report suggested this was the result of deficiencies in the current governance framework applied to Chevron, and “may be attributable to a lack of clear expectations in the existing conditions”.
It recommended the minister make those expectations clearer and more timely.
“Effective expert panel governance involves establishing clear mandates, ensuring diverse expertise, fostering open communication, and maintaining transparency and accountability to ensure the panel's advice is valuable and impactful,” the EPA wrote.
The recommendations are the first to come of a ministerial request for a review of the conditions of Chevron’s approval of the Gorgon gas project, instigated by former Environment Minister Reece Whitby in March 2023.
The EPA said a second inquiry would now be launched into the Gorgon ministerial statement, looking at the conditions of the terrestrial and marine quarantine management system, the long-term marine turtle management plan, and the coastal stability management and monitoring plan.
Gorgon is located on a Class-A nature reserve at Barrow Island, and its workers and visitors are subject to strict quarantine and environmental management protocols.
Chevron has been contacted for comment.
