Walmadan (James Price Point) is in spotlight again - EPA are reassessing

Colin Barnett has a dream - his dream is to herd all First Nations communities into mine site workers quarters and mega prisons ... and transform the whole Kimberley into a mining quarry.

James Price Point was the site of long-running protests to protect the Aboriginal heritage, for environment conservation purposes - it was initially targeted by the Barnett government as one of the world's largest gas hub.

(Pic AQBC News)

Environmental impact assessors are again at James Price Point on the Kimberley coast, as the State Government pushes ahead to get the site ready for use by industry.

The proposed gas hub, 60 kilometres north of Broome, saw mass protests from those opposed to its development.

Woodside and its joint venture partners dumped plans to process Browse Basin gas early last year, opting instead for floating LNG technology.

But WA Premier Colin Barnett said he remains optimistic companies exploring for natural gas, condensate and oil in the Browse Basin offshore will use the site.

"There will be several LNG projects over future years, and I'd expect that at least one or two of them will ultimately locate at James Price Point," he said.

"Government has to make these long-term planning decision well-ahead of development."

But opponents of the project said it made no sense to continue investing time and money.

Greens MP Robin Chapple said it had become a personal crusade for the Premier.

"Quite clearly industry, whether it be Shell, whether it be Woodside, have said we're going to use floating LNG technology," he said.

"There is little likelihood of the site ever being of any value for anything else, because of the capital costs of developing it.

"I just think that [Premier Barnett] is basically going through the motions.

"He committed to doing it, and we'll have another white elephant like Oakajee just sitting up there, with nothing ever happening."

The Premier would not say whether any companies had expressed interest in using the site, either for processing LNG, or for a supply base to support offshore rigs.

The State Agreement signed in relation to the site restricts its use to oil and gas-related industry.

The Environmental Protection Authority originally assessed the project in 2012.

But the Supreme Court ruled in August last year that the process was invalid, because of conflicts of interest of three of the four EPA board members involved.

Following the State Government's decision to proceed with the approvals process, three independent scientists have been brought in to complete a new assessment.

The trio, appointed by the Environment Minister in February, is being headed up by environmental consultant Gerard Early.

Mr Early said people can have faith in the process.

"All three of the assessors are completely independent, so it's a completely separate exercise," he said.

"We've deliberately not looked at the original EPA report."

The delegates are spending two days at James Price Point and in Broome, inspecting the site and discussing the proposal with the local shire, conservation groups and traditional owners.