Email Thread -Response From CEO Re Compliance Committee Brief On Final Decision

Written by Claude Haiku 4.5 from the extracted text on 16 May 2026. It can miss or misread redacted and scanned pages. Check the source before relying on it.

NOPSEMA's CEO confirmed the authority's decision to refuse CGG's Regia Marine Seismic Survey Environment Plan on 11 February 2026, following a lengthy assessment process begun in 2024. The refusal was based on non-compliance with acceptance criteria under the Environment Regulations, specifically regarding environmental impacts and risks, performance outcomes, and implementation strategy. Critical deficiencies included unreliable underwater noise impact predictions from two conflicting modelling studies, control measures based on non-conservative predictions insufficient to address uncertainty, and inadequate adaptive management provisions for potential exceedances. Despite three opportunities for CGG to address identified issues and extensive stakeholder engagement receiving 14,848 public comments, the Environment Plan failed to demonstrate that impacts to EPBC Act protected matters would be reduced to acceptable levels.