The Port of Barrow Island is supporting infrastructure for the Gorgon Gas Development on Barrow Island (BWI), ~60km off the north-west coast of Western Australia. The main Port structures are a solid x-bloc causeway extending 2.1 km off the east coast of Barrow Island, and an open trestle LNG export jetty extending a further 2.1 km from the end of the causeway.
Barrow Island is a ‘Class A’ nature reserve. The island and surrounding marine environment are home to numerous species of high ecological importance. One such species is the flatback turtle (Natator depressus), which is endemic to Australia and listed as a vulnerable species under the EPBC Act. Flatback turtles nest on the east coast of Barrow Island, on beaches immediately adjacent to Port of BWI infrastructure.
The physical presence of the causeway has altered local oceanographic conditions. As a result, sand at adjacent turtle nesting beaches has migrated toward the causeway, exposing rock on the beach face and deterring turtles from accessing the adjacent foredune nesting habitat.
In June 2025, Chevron Australia carried out a trial of sand redistribution at one of the adjacent beaches to determine if it could effectively restore access to flatback turtle nesting habitat. The implementation of the trial was successful, and anecdotal evidence suggests there was a significant improvement in the utilisation of turtle nesting habitat in the subsequent 2025/2026 nesting season (detailed analysis to be completed by July 2026). Targeted monitoring will be carried out for at least three years to assess the effectiveness and longevity of the sand redistribution trial.