MELBOURNE: Victoria state yesterday rejected a plan by AGL Energy to build a liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminal, effectively killing a proposal designed to help fill an expected shortfall in gas supply in southeast Australia from 2024.
The state’s Labour government ruled against the project due to concern the import terminal would damage internationally recognised wetlands. The project was opposed by an unusual coalition of environmental, indigenous and community groups alongside conservative politicians.
“It’s very clear to me that this project would cause unacceptable impacts on the Western Port environment and the Ramsar wetlands. It’s important that these areas are protected, ” Victoria’s Planning Minister Richard Wynne said in a statement.
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