Updated May 22, 2026 — 2:18pm,first published May 21, 2026 — 5:21pm
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West Australian Premier Roger Cook has found an unlikely ally amid widespread backlash over comments on Woodside’s offshore Browse gas project that raised the spectre of fracking in the Kimberley region.
Cook told the Australian Financial Review on Thursday that WA could be forced to start fracking the Kimberley if Woodside’s Browse gas project was not developed – a stance he doubled down on in budget estimates that same day.
“There are decisions coming for the state into the future. Our (Australian Energy Market Operator) projects a gas shortfall in the early 2030s and as a state, we need to come to a decision about what that means for Western Australia,” he told estimates.
