Thursday, 16 October 2025

 Sarah MANSFIELD (Western Victoria) (12:44): (1881) My question is for the Minister for Environment. Constituents in Port Campbell and Warrnambool have raised concerns with me about debris, confirmed by Woodside to be plastic clamps used in their decommissioning works on the Minerva field, washing up on their beaches. Woodside admitted a recordable incident report to the National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority on 31 March 2025 stating that approximately 65 kilograms of plastic piggyback clamps had been released into Commonwealth waters. Despite this, Woodside commenced decommissioning in Victorian waters in April using the same methodology, resulting in a significant loss of additional plastic clamps and an estimated 186 kilograms total plastic waste being recovered. Minister, what steps is the government taking to ensure Woodside takes responsibility to prevent future plastic pollution during decommissioning projects in state waters?