Latest news with #NarrabriGasProject
West Australian
27-05-2025
- Business
- West Australian
More gas projects, less green tape call at energy event
Australia must cut the "red and green tape" around gas projects and allow more exploratory drilling to secure the nation's energy and exports, a conference has been told, despite an election result endorsing a move to renewable energy. Former ambassador to the United States Joe Hockey and Woodside chief executive Meg O'Neill were among presenters calling for policy changes at the Australian Energy Producers conference in Brisbane on Tuesday, which attracted more than 2000 attendees. Queensland Treasurer David Janetzki also used the event to declare the state's energy future would remain based on coal, and pledged to extend the life of the state's coal-fired power stations. The event comes as the gas industry awaits a verdict on whether Woodside will be allowed to extend its North West Shelf Project in Western Australia that is one of the world's largest liquefied natural gas sources. Approving the project and other developments including Santos' Narrabri Gas Project in NSW would be vital to addressing the nation's energy needs and preventing gas shortfalls, Ms O'Neill said. "With the new federal parliament elected, it is an opportunity to finally cut red and green tape to simplify and streamline Australia's approval system," she said. Mining exploration should also be allowed to "resume in earnest in Australia," she said, to allow companies to find opportunities for energy supply and export. Identifying additional gas and oil projects would be important for Australia's international standing, Mr Hockey told the event from Singapore, and should be allowed with limited government intervention. "We have a duty to grow the oil and gas industry in Australia, to grow it for global consumption," he said. "We need to get back to some basic principles that if you have less regulation, if you have less onerous taxes and less tax then you are more likely to grow your economy." The calls for more gas projects come weeks after the re-election of the federal Labor government, which has a target of 82 per cent renewable energy in the national grid by 2030. Federal Resources Minister Madeleine King told the conference the administration had heard the gas industry's desire for faster approvals but would adopt a careful approach. "The entire Australian government has heard your message that environment approvals that are complex and lengthy. Addressing this issue is a priority for this government," she said. "Commercial decisions and joint venture negotiations are also complex and lengthy and subject to change. Not all delays can be attributed to government regulation." While Ms King dismissed the coalition's gas reservation policy during the election campaign as a "thought bubble," she said the government would consider regulations to prevent gas shortages in the domestic market. But Queensland's LNP government would take a more aggressive approach to using fossil fuels, Mr Janetzki told attendees, and would extend the use of gas and coal. "(Coal-fired power stations) will remain open as long as it is economically sensible and systematically needed, not (closed on) an arbitrary date to fill a headline for a day," he said. On Monday, the Queensland government cancelled the Moonlight Range Wind Farm proposed near Rockhampton that would have installed 88 wind turbines and generated enough energy to power 260,000 homes per year.
Perth Now
27-05-2025
- Business
- Perth Now
More gas projects, less green tape call at energy event
Australia must cut the "red and green tape" around gas projects and allow more exploratory drilling to secure the nation's energy and exports, a conference has been told, despite an election result endorsing a move to renewable energy. Former ambassador to the United States Joe Hockey and Woodside chief executive Meg O'Neill were among presenters calling for policy changes at the Australian Energy Producers conference in Brisbane on Tuesday, which attracted more than 2000 attendees. Queensland Treasurer David Janetzki also used the event to declare the state's energy future would remain based on coal, and pledged to extend the life of the state's coal-fired power stations. The event comes as the gas industry awaits a verdict on whether Woodside will be allowed to extend its North West Shelf Project in Western Australia that is one of the world's largest liquefied natural gas sources. Approving the project and other developments including Santos' Narrabri Gas Project in NSW would be vital to addressing the nation's energy needs and preventing gas shortfalls, Ms O'Neill said. "With the new federal parliament elected, it is an opportunity to finally cut red and green tape to simplify and streamline Australia's approval system," she said. Mining exploration should also be allowed to "resume in earnest in Australia," she said, to allow companies to find opportunities for energy supply and export. Identifying additional gas and oil projects would be important for Australia's international standing, Mr Hockey told the event from Singapore, and should be allowed with limited government intervention. "We have a duty to grow the oil and gas industry in Australia, to grow it for global consumption," he said. "We need to get back to some basic principles that if you have less regulation, if you have less onerous taxes and less tax then you are more likely to grow your economy." The calls for more gas projects come weeks after the re-election of the federal Labor government, which has a target of 82 per cent renewable energy in the national grid by 2030. Federal Resources Minister Madeleine King told the conference the administration had heard the gas industry's desire for faster approvals but would adopt a careful approach. "The entire Australian government has heard your message that environment approvals that are complex and lengthy. Addressing this issue is a priority for this government," she said. "Commercial decisions and joint venture negotiations are also complex and lengthy and subject to change. Not all delays can be attributed to government regulation." While Ms King dismissed the coalition's gas reservation policy during the election campaign as a "thought bubble," she said the government would consider regulations to prevent gas shortages in the domestic market. But Queensland's LNP government would take a more aggressive approach to using fossil fuels, Mr Janetzki told attendees, and would extend the use of gas and coal. "(Coal-fired power stations) will remain open as long as it is economically sensible and systematically needed, not (closed on) an arbitrary date to fill a headline for a day," he said. On Monday, the Queensland government cancelled the Moonlight Range Wind Farm proposed near Rockhampton that would have installed 88 wind turbines and generated enough energy to power 260,000 homes per year.
ABC News
20-05-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
National Native Title Tribunal ruling on Narrabri Gas Project devastates elder
A decision by the National Native Title Tribunal to allow the New South Wales government to lease land to Santos for gas extraction has left a traditional landowner "devastated". The tribunal was asked to decide whether the leases, which mostly overlap with a significant Gomeroi cultural area, the Pilliga, should be allowed. The NSW Independent Planning Commission (IPC) approved the $3.6 billion Narrabri Gas Project for up to 850 gas wells in 2020. In its decision handed down on Monday, the tribunal said, weighing the public interest evidence and concerns of the Gomeroi people, they believed the Narrabri Gas Project offered a "net public benefit". Gomeroi woman and native title applicant Polly Cutmore said the decision was upsetting. "I am very upset, but it doesn't surprise me," she said. The tribunal decision was not the only remaining hurdle for the Narrabri Gas Project, but it has been a protracted issue. In December 2022, the tribunal decided the leases could be allowed, subject to conditions. In March 2024, the Federal Court unanimously rejected the Gomeroi people's five grounds of appeal relating to good faith. But the appeal was allowed on one ground; two of the three Federal Court Justices found the tribunal erred in its limited consideration of environmental concerns. Chief Justice Debra Mortimer said in the 2024 ruling the Gomeroi people "were deprived of the possibility of a successful outcome by reason of the tribunal's errors". Traditional owners called the decision groundbreaking for their people and the fight against climate change. Meanwhile, Santos indicated they would continue mediation to reach a mutually beneficial outcome for both parties. Ms Cutmore said her people would continue to fight to protect their country. Ms Cutmore said when she was first made aware of the project almost a decade ago, she was concerned about Santos's plan to extract gas from the Great Artesian Basin. "The people from the Namoi, who rely on the water system, all the way through to the Murray Darling Basin, it's going to be devastating for the country, the land," she said. "It's going to be devastating for our people. "We took everything into consideration what Santos offered us at the (National) Native Title Tribunal table, we said no. "We are here because of our ancestors, they fought and we will continue to fight. "We are still here and we will continue to fight, we love our country." Santos's proposal for the Narrabri Lateral Pipeline, a 30-kilometre pipeline to connect the Narrabri Gas Project to the Hunter Gas Pipeline, is still being assessed by the federal government. Before the IPC's approval of the Narrabri Gas Project, the state government received almost 23,000 public objections and the Mullalley Gas and Pipeline Accord later unsuccessfully challenged the approval in court. Santos will need to comply with strict conditions to proceed with the project. Santos has been approached for comment.
