AUST today (extract): STATE MINISTER LASHES CANBERRA PAUL GARVEY...

AUST today (extract):
STATE MINISTER LASHES CANBERRA
PAUL GARVEY
The Western Australian government has taken aim at “nerdy little bureaucrats in Canberra” after federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek again delayed her decision on an extension of the North West Shelf LNG project.

Ms Plibersek has requested another 30 days to make her call on the Woodside Energy-led project, which has become a target for climate activists as well as some in her own party over its emissions footprint.
That means she is now not required to make a decision until late March, giving rise to concerns a decision may be delayed until after the next federal election. With polls pointing to a likely hung parliament, there is growing speculation the North West Shelf extension could be used as a bargaining chip by the Greens or teals in any future deal with Labor.
The WA Labor government has been a strong advocate for the state’s gas industry and has already approved the extension.

Responding to claims that a lack of documentation from WA had forced the deferral of Ms Plibersek’s decision, state Energy Minister Reece Whitby on Thursday said WA had responded swiftly to a request for more detail from the federal department. “There was a request on the 29th of January for additional more information. On the fifth of February, which is five days later excluding the weekend, we had sought that information, gathered it up, made sure it was accurate, and passed it back to Canberra. Five days. I mean, seriously. That is an efficient, acceptable turnaround,” he said.
“I suspect that there’s a nerdy little bureaucrat in an agency in Canberra somewhere who’s trying to cover his butt. That’s my suspicion.”
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