‘Lawfare’ threatens Australian investor confidence

Barossa is just the latest project impacted as the industry warns of a worsening regulatory environment

“Investment in Australia will dry up” without renewed regulatory certainty, cautioned Kevin Gallagher, CEO of Australian LNG producer Santos. Gallagher issued the warning as Santos fights a court battle over a section of subsea pipeline integral to the ­Barossa gas project, a development that is required as a fresh source of feedgas for Darwin LNG. The Federal Court of Australia recently issued an interim injunction halting work on the Barossa project’s pipeline where it nears Bathurst Island, following a legal challenge by Tiwi traditional owners. Plaintiff Simon Munkara—later joined by other Tiwi plaintiffs and backed by legal pressure group the Environmental Defenders Office (EDO)—lodged