WA Environment Minister Donna Faragher has instructed the EPA to reassess a plan for a massive salt farm in a wetland of national importance which is part-backed by the same corporate group responsible for the operation leaking oil off the WA coast.
The task of approving mining and petroleum proposals should rest with one decision-making authority and responsibility for hearing environmental appeals should temporarily be given to a 'retired magistrate', says a report for the WA Government.
The WA Government says it has imposed 'strong, new conditions' on the Gorgon Venture's proposed LNG plant, but it has watered down key EPA recommendations dealing with CO2 storage that the venture had unsuccessfully challenged.
WA Environment Minister Donna Faragher has rejected WWF's push for the multi-billion dollar Gorgon LNG plant to be built on the mainland instead of an island nature reserve, despite the WA EPA raising doubts about whether the mainland option is still too expensive.