New gasfield approved near Twelve Apostles puts climate and ‘pristine’ ocean in jeopardy, environmentalists warn

A gas platform. Environment Victoria said the Otway basin project would ‘only set back progress on the clean energy transition under way’ in the state. Photograph: Suzanne Long/Alamy

A new gas drilling project approved for Victoria’s Otway basin will make “the path to a safe climate harder” and put a “pristine ocean environment” at risk, environment groups have warned.

The federal and Victorian governments on Thursday announced they had greenlit the production licence for Amplitude Energy’s Annie gasfield project in the Otway basin, which expects to start producing gas by 2028.