The Environmental Protection Authority has delegated a project’s assessment to three people.
Picture by Rod Hartvigsen
The proposed LNG precinct at James Price Point will be assessed by Gerard Early PSM, Dr Tom Hatton and newly appointed EPA member Glen McLeod.
Mr McLeod is a new member of the EPA board, and the other two are outsiders.
None of them was involved in the assessment of the controversial gas hub project on the same site.
The process was widely criticized when most of the board declared conflicts of interest, and disqualified themselves leaving the chairman to make the assessment alone.
You can read a media release here:
| Government of Western AustraliaDepartment of the Premier and Cabinet
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Hon Albert Jacob MLA |
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| 4/2/14 |
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Minister for Environment |
MEDIA STATEMENT
Delegates appointed for Browse assessment
- Three delegates appointed to assess the proposed Browse Liquefied Natural Gas precinct
- Delegates had no involvement in the previous Browse assessment
Environment Minister Albert Jacob has announced the appointment of three delegates to assess the proposed Browse Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) precinct.
Mr Jacob said he approved the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) formally delegating its powers to assess the proposal under the Environmental Protection Act 1986.
The appointments follow an August 2013 Supreme Court finding that invalidated the EPA’s original assessment report and recommendations.
“The three appointed delegates are Gerard Early PSM, Dr Tom Hatton and newly appointed EPA member Glen McLeod,” the Minister said.
“These three delegates had no involvement in the previous Browse assessment and recommendations to Government. I am confident the delegates will provide a well-considered and impartial report on the proposal.”
Canberra-based Mr Early was deputy secretary of the Commonwealth Department of Environment, before he retired to run his own consultancy in 2010.
Dr Hatton is group executive of energy at the CSIRO. He has more than 25 years of national and international research experience and chairs the Marine Parks and Reserves Authority.
Mr McLeod is a well-respected lawyer with 36 years of national and international experience in environmental, planning and government law; the climate change and renewable energy sectors; ports, probity and procurement. He is a member of the Waste Authority and the Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority and was appointed to the EPA in October 2013.
| Fact File |
- The EPA has delegated its powers and duties to the three panel members for the assessment of the proposed Browse LNG Precinct and any subsequent derived proposal under section 19(1) of the Environmental Protection Act
- The delegates will report to the Minister for Environment with recommendations as to whether the proposal should proceed, and, if so, under what conditions