The Shire of Ashburton Council agreed at its meeting last week to endeavor to develop a MoU with Chevron, aimed at building a more positive relationship between the two organisations.
The Wheatstone LNG project has undoubtedly brought benefits to the local Onslow community – and Australia – but there have certainly been challenges to overcome, said Shire President Kerry White , who described the relationship at present as ‘struggling’.
“ Discussions between the Shire and Chevron are always cordial, but there are issues between our organisations, which often have competing interests,” White stated. “ One is a multi-national profit driven company and the other is a local government representing the community.
“ The most pressing concern at the moment is Chevron’s decision to not build its FIFO operational village in the Onslow town-site. Hansard records from August show that Chevron had been in discussions with the State Government since February 2014 to try and extract itself from its commitments to the Onslow community.
“ The MOU is intended to cover mutual benefits and understandings, commitments and the values of respect, honesty and transparency – important values for both parties to address in the MOU especially as the Wheatstone project will have a presence in Onslow for the next 50+years. It is critical that the relationship is one that is working well.
“ Chevron promotes itself as a responsible business and a proud corporate citizen wishing to establish a strong relationship with Onslow’s community and businesses so there is mutual benefit over the decades. The Shire too has similar high expectations of itself.
“ There is a concern that there may be a disconnect between Chevron at its global headquarters and Chevron Australia and as such, if necessary, I will travel to the global headquarters in California with CEO Neil Hartley, to progress the MOU. A joint delegation may even be considered as several members of the local business community and union representatives have contacted me about their concerns, ” White concluded.