“The State Government is committed to the development of an LNG precinct in the Kimberley that minimises potential impacts on the area while maximising opportunities for local people, businesses and employment,”? Mr Barnett said.
“The baseline Social Impact Assessment document will help the project team gather further information from the local community on the potential impacts as well as provide affected communities with useful information from which to plan.
Planning for the precinct at James Price Point also includes an environmental assessment process, which will involve new studies and review existing environmental, technical and scientific studies, culminating in a risk assessment of building the LNG Precinct at James Price Point.
Mr Barnett said the call for tenders for a company or companies to complete the assessment report underlined the Government’s commitment to the project. The State Government today called for tenders for a contractor to undertake this process.
Meanwhile, BHP Billiton has declined to state whether or not it is supportive of the proposal to develop the Browse Gas Project’s associated LNG plant at the Kimberley LNG Hub site.
“The history of these large projects is that the best economic option normally emerges, but it is very early days in that project and we will see what comes out of the feasibility studies that are being conducted,”? BHP chief executive Marius Kloppers said.
Operator of the Browse Gas Project Woodside Petroleum and the Western Australian Government have signed a Heads of Agreement to process gas from Browse through a plant at James Price Point.
However, other participants in the Browse joint venture are yet to make a decision.