Friends of Australian Rock Art v Woodside & Environment Minister - Federal Court of Australia
(Filed 2025, FCA, ongoing)
Friends of Australian Rock Art co-convenors Judith Hugo (L) and Susan Swain (R) hope the appeal will stop Woodside's North West Shelf extension. (Credit: Jesse Noakes)
Judicial review of decision by the Federal Environment Minister, Murray Watt, to approve Woodside’s application for approval to extend the North West Shelf gas project for 45 years, to 2070, under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.
The project, if implemented, would dangerously increase greenhouse gas emissions at an estimated scale equivalent to a decade of Australia’s own domestic emissions.
Johnson Legal is acting for charity Friends of Australian Rock Art (FARA), who argue that the Federal Environment Minister failed to consider economic and social harms when he decided to take into account the purported economic benefits (jobs) that would arise from his decision to approve the extension causing ongoing and irreversible harm to the ancient Murujuga rock art.
On 13 February 2025, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, Astrid Puentes Riaño, applied to be heard as an amicus curiae (“friend of the court”). On 25 May 2026, that application was granted subject to qualifications.
The case is set down for hearing before the Federal Court of Australia in Melbourne on 21-27 July 2026. It will be run alongside a separate challenge to the Minister’s decision brought by the Australian Conservation Foundation.
This case is being run by Principal Lawyer Anita O’Hart, together with Senior Associate Asha Keaney, of Johnson Legal representing FARA. Sashi Maharaj KC, together with Selena Bateman, Verity Long-Droppert, Christopher Tran and Priyanka Banerjee of counsel are working across both of FARA’s legal challenges in the WA Supreme Court and the Federal Court of Australia.
This case is listed by the Federal Court of Australia as a public interest case, and the public file is available on the Court’s website.
Key documents on the Court’s public file include:
9 June 2026 Submissions of Amicus Curiae (Ms Astrid Puentes Riaño - in her capacity as United Nations Special Rapporteur on the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment)
11 May 2026 Submissions in Reply on Interlocutory Application to be Heard (Ms Astrid Puentes Riaño - in her capacity as United Nations Special Rapporteur on the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment)
4 May 2026 Submissions on Interlocutory Application to be Heard (Woodside)
4 May 2026 Submissions on Interlocutory Application to be Heard (Minister)
4 May 2026 Submissions on Interlocutory Application to be Heard (FARA)
27 April 2026 Affidavit in Support of Interlocutory Application to be Heard (UN Special Rapporteur)
27 April 2026 Submissions in Support of Interlocutory Application to be Heard (UN Special Rapporteur)
13 March 2026 Amended Originating Application (FARA)
12 March 2026 Orders granting leave to file Amended Originating Application
13 November 2025 Affidavit in Support of Interlocutory Application to be Heard as Amicus Curiae (UN Special Rapporteur)
13 November 2025 Interlocutory Application to be Heard as Amicus Curiae (UN Special Rapporteur)
10 October 2025 Originating Application (FARA)
