Indigenous Australian wins reprieve in gas pipeline fight

Fuel producer Santos -- one of Australia's largest energy companies -- is planning to lay an underwater pipeline off the country's northern coast, pumping gas from undersea wells back to onshore processing plants.

Tiwi Islands traditional owner Simon Munkara has won a temporary injunction stopping the project, arguing that Santos had not properly considered how the pipeline might damage cherished heritage areas.

The fight will return to court on November 13, when a judge will decide if construction can resume or if the issue warrants further substantial hearings.

"We are serious about protecting our country," Munkara said in a statement following Thursday's hearing.

"That is our obligation. I'm doing this for my kids, so that our culture can be passed on to future generations."

In a statement released to the Australian stock exchange, Santos said it respected "the cultural heritage of the Tiwi people" while insisting there were no significant risks attached to the 260 kilometre (161 mile) pipeline.

The proposed pipeline runs close to the Tiwi Islands, a sparsely populated archipelago about 80 kilometres (50 miles) off the coast of Darwin in northern Australia.

Indigenous Australians make up about 90 percent of the 2,000-strong population on the islands, which are known for their distinctive art, language, and love of Australian rules football.

The Aus$5 billion (US$3.2 billion) Barossa Gas Project has been plagued by delays, as opponents raise concerns about its contribution to climate change, ecological footprint, and impact on areas of cultural significance.

Gas from the offshore Barossa field would be pumped back to Darwin, where it would be processed and loaded onto tankers for export.

The conservation of Aboriginal sites has been under intense scrutiny in Australia after mining company Rio Tinto blew up the 46,000-year-old Juukan Gorge rock shelters in 2020.