Coastal Communities Triumph as Federal Court Rejects PEP-11 Gas Drilling Proposal

The Wilderness Society acknowledges the strength, persistence and resilience of coastal communities from Manly to Newcastle as the Federal Court of Australia makes its final decision on the controversial PEP-11 offshore gas proposal, dismissing each of the grounds of the appeal. 

For years, Wilderness Society volunteers and communities across Sydney’s Northern Beaches, the Central Coast, Lake Macquarie and Newcastle have stood together in opposition to the proposed gas field off Australia’s most populated coastline. These communities have organised, paddled-out, campaigned, and repeatedly made clear that they do not want offshore fossil fuel development threatening their beaches, marine ecosystems, tourism and way of life.

Despite this consistent and overwhelming community opposition, governments have repeatedly allowed the PEP-11 proposal to linger through uncertain and drawn-out decision-making processes, creating years of instability for coastal residents and local economies.

The Wilderness Society has stood alongside these communities throughout the campaign, witnessing firsthand the depth of local concern and the extraordinary grassroots mobilisation that has sustained opposition to the project since it was first proposed.

“Communities from Manly to Newcastle have shown incredible resilience in defending their coastline,” said Sascha Hawkins, NSW Campaigns Manager, Wilderness Society. “They have consistently made it clear: they do not want offshore gas drilling threatening their beaches, their marine life, or their future.”

“Time and again, these communities have had to re-fight the same battle, as decision-makers revisit or delay outcomes despite overwhelming public opposition. It is exhausting for communities, and it undermines trust in environmental decision-making.”

PEP-11, which covers offshore waters between Sydney and Newcastle, has become a symbol of the growing tension between community-led climate action and continued government willingness to entertain new fossil fuel development in sensitive marine environments.

The Wilderness Society is calling on the Albanese Labor government to hear the clear message from today’s decision: the public interest, climate science, and the sustained position of local communities is in opposition to this project..

“Protecting the NSW coastline from further fossil fuel expansion is not just an environmental issue—it is a matter of community consent and intergenerational responsibility,” said Fern Cadman, Fossil Fuel Industry Campaigner, Wilderness Society.

“The science is clear, and the community voice has been equally clear. Governments must stop reopening the door to projects that have already been rejected so many times by the people most affected.”

The Wilderness Society reiterates its support for a permanent end to offshore oil and gas exploration along the Australian coast and calls for stronger national safeguards to ensure that projects like PEP-11 cannot repeatedly return after being rejected by communities and governments.

ENDS

For interviews with Sascha Hawkins or Fern Cadman, please contact Amy Morgan, media adviser for the Wilderness Society on amy.morgan@wilderness.org.au or 0450 605 713