Environmental groups have protested the decision to not assess the potential impacts of a gas processing facility near Mingenew, despite the vast majority of public submissions supporting a review.

The Environmental Protection Authority announced last week it would not assess Hancock Energy’s $850 million Belisima central processing facility, built 25km south-west of Mingenew.

An EPA report outlined potential impacts on flora from the clearing of the site, animals from the clearing of their habitat, inland water from alterations to groundwater, impacts to soil or air quality, greenhouse gas emissions and impacts to Aboriginal cultural heritage.

A potential threat to Carnaby’s black cockatoo habitat was identified in the report.

“Habitat for Carnaby’s cockatoo (endangered under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act and Biodiversity Conservation Act) is considered likely to occur within the development envelope,” it read.

Out of 229 people who responded to a five-week community engagement period about the proposal, 227 of them thought the project needed an environmental review.

The EPA chair’s determination of the proposal found that the “likely environmental effects of the proposal are not so significant or unmitigated to warrant formal assessment”.

Gas produced from nearby developments will be transported to the centre for processing. It will then be transported to Dampier to Bunbury natural gas pipeline.

The 1326ha development envelope has already been approved by the WA Planning Commission.

Mingenew Shire president Hellene MacTaggart said the EPA’s decision was “consistent” with its previous decisions.

The Conservation Council of WA have spoken out against the decision.

CCWA executive director Matt Roberts said “the EPA is not considering what the likely impacts of a project will be on the environment”.

“The Belisima project was referred in May 2026, with CCWA identifying key threats to endangered Carnaby’s black cockatoos from native vegetation clearing, cumulative impacts to groundwater and concerns over climate polluting carbon emissions,” he said.

“This is an anti-democratic decision by the EPA. Of the 229 public submissions made, all but two of them called for the project to be assessed.”

Mr Roberts said there was no way for the public to appeal or challenge the decision, and described WA’s environmental laws as “broken”.