Woodside ‘Tossers’ show contempt for Australian environment and tourism industry

Activists from independent campaigning organisation Greenpeace Australia Pacific have occupied and documented a toxic, discarded oil tower owned by Australian petroleum exploration and production company Woodside Energy.

The activists, who are calling on Woodside to stop polluting Western Australia’s oceans, dropped a banner reading “Woodside, Don’t Be a Tosser.”

The toxic oil tower should have been disposed of safely years ago, but Woodside has left it to decay in the ocean close to the globally famous Ningaloo Reef and Exmouth Gulf – impacting not only the environment but also Western Australia’s fishing and tourism industries.

Woodside is the operator of oil and gas production in Australia and also Australia's largest independent dedicated oil and gas company.

Two climbers scaled Woodside’s Nganhurra Riser Turret Mooring, an 83 metre long, 2452 tonne discarded piece of industrial waste infrastructure that Woodside has left in the ocean near biodiversity hotspots Ningaloo Reef and Exmouth Gulf, dropped the banner and affixed a permanent warning sign to the structure.

The riser turret mooring reportedly contains toxic fire retardant foam, and was recently found to be slowly sinking after Woodside failed to maintain it. Woodside has been ordered by the offshore oil and gas regulator NOPSEMA to remove the structure but has so far failed to do so.

Greenpeace demands that Woodside urgently remove the structure from Western Australia’s waters and dispose of it safely on land.

Greenpeace Australia Pacific Chief Executive David Ritter said that Woodside’s failure to remove its discarded waste shows that the company can’t be trusted with our oceans.

Ritter shared “Every kid like me who grows up in WA learns that you don’t just chuck your rubbish in the ocean, but that’s basically what Woodside have done here on a massive scale.

“As a West Australian and an ocean-lover, I’m appalled that Woodside shows such contempt for our oceans. This toxic oil tower should have been disposed of safely years ago, but Woodside has shamefully left its industrial junk to decay in the ocean close to the globally famous treasures of Ningaloo Reef and Exmouth Gulf.

“Western Australia’s oceans are vital – to our environment, our climate and to Western Australian industries, such as fishing and tourism. Yet Woodside’s operations threaten the health of our oceans and the wildlife and communities that depend upon them.”

“If Woodside won’t clean up the mess it’s already made in Western Australia’s oceans then it can’t be trusted not to make an even bigger mess drilling for new gas at the Burrup Hub.”

Calls placed by Greenpeace activists to the Western Australian Government’s Littering Hotline, to report Woodside’s industrial rubbish had not been answered at the time of writing.

Image. Greenpeace activists occupy Woodside’s toxic oil tower off Exmouth as part of Rainbow Warrior Whales Not Woodside tour. Credit: Greenpeace