North West Shelf: Albanese rejects Vanuatu criticism that major gas project will jeopardise Pacific relations

Anthony Albanese has rejected suggestions approving a major gas project off WA will jeopardise Pacific relations and declared he will “act in Australia’s interests” despite criticism from Vanuatu.

At the pointy-end of the Pacific Island Forum in the Solomon Islands on Thursday, Vanuatu’s climate minister Ralph Regenvanu had warned a greenlight for Woodside’s North West Shelf would break international law.

It came as the Albanese Government stands poised to make the final call on whether the project will be extended to 2070 as soon as Friday, after almost four months of deliberations with the gas giant over conditions.

Mr Albanese justified Environment Minister Murray Watt’s conditional approval for the project by saying gas had “an important role to play” in Australia’s green energy transition.

“What we’ll continue to do is act in Australia’s interests but also in the interests of engaging in action on climate change,” he said on Thursday.

“We know that gas has an important role to play in the transition. We’ll continue to make decisions based upon our domestic law and the Environment Minister will be making a decision in the coming period.”

A Woodside spokesman said extending the project would aid WA’s power supply and deliver thousands of jobs both directly and indirectly.

“Since it began operations more than 40 years ago, the North West Shelf Project has paid more than A$40 billion in royalties and excise, supported thousands of Australian jobs and contributed well over A$300 million to communities in the Pilbara through social investment initiatives and infrastructure support,” he said.

Mr Regenvanu’s comments followed a landmark decision by the International Court of Justice in July that declared states have a legal obligation to tackle climate change.

Despite the criticism, the Prime Minister added that he had been “warmly received” by Pacific partners and acknowledged climate action was the “entry fee” to credibility in the Pacific.

It came as Australia contributed $100 million to a new climate resilience fund at the climate-agenda-heavy 54th PIF summit, which would help nations deal with the impacts of climate change by building renewable and mitigation infrastructure.

Pacific nations hope the Pacific Resilience Facility will reach $500 million in the coming year and will take the fund to the UN General Assembly in New York later this month to pitch to other countries to contribute.

Mr Albanese — who will also fly to America for the event — is expected to release Australia’s 2035 climate target under the Paris Agreement prior to attending.

He had hinted while in Honiara that the target would likely be an “achievable”, prompting questions over whether it would pursue less ambitious cuts.

Greens leader Larissa Waters accused the Albanese Government of ignoring Pacific pleas for action to appease “fossil fuel donors”, saying “the government is expected to announce a weak target, and no plan to phase out coal and gas”.

Leaders at the forum also shared support for the joint Australia-Pacific bid to host the COP31 global climate talks to be held in Adelaide next year over rival Turkiye.

They also signed on to a Fiji-led “Ocean of Peace” declaration to ensure sovereignty remained amid a “vortex of great power rivalry” in the Pacific amid Beijing’s soaring influence.

The focus on security came as Palauan President Surangel Whipps told a conference at US Indo-Pacific Command in Hawaii on the cusp of the PIF summit that the region was “already at war” with China.

Mr Albanese finished the multi-day talks at a private leaders retreat with the 17 attending nations, which typically bookends the summit to allow for more frank discussions.

This year’s closed door event was held in Munda, an idyllic tropical location more than an hour-long flight from Honiara.

Mr Albanese’s visit had caused a stir within Pacific media outlets, who claimed several local journalists had been barred from attending his Australian-only press conference.

However, one Solomon Islands-based reporter had attended the PM’s Honiara press conference and asked about Australia’s NZYQ deportee deal with Nauru. “Why is Australia continuously using its Pacific family as a dumping ground or prison island?,” she had quizzed the PM.

While Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a press conference with journalists on Thursday to announce NZ would host the 2027 PIF summit, Mr Albanese opted for a cameraman-only event.

He gave opening remarks before answering just two questions from a cameraman.

Mr Albanese will return to Canberra before jetting off to Papua New Guinea early next week for its 50th independence anniversary.