Latest news with #NorthwestShelfProject
Sky News AU
08-05-2025
- Business
- Sky News AU
Business Council of Australia CEO Bran Black issues major plea to re-elected Albanese Government on energy supply
A leader in the business community has recommended a key way Labor can boost energy supply as many industries call for changes during the Albanese Government's second term. After securing a sweeping victory over the weekend, many leading business bodies have called on Labor to boost productivity, wind back red tape and protect Australia from global uncertainty during the Albanese Government's second term. The nation's energy mix and the transition to net-zero through renewables are also major considerations for many industries concerned about energy security. The Business Council of Australia's CEO Bran Black said gas was a critical issue for the nation's industries with bringing more supply into the grid the main focus for many manufacturers. 'In terms of gas, in order for us to get more supply into the systems we've got to be looking very closely at how we can go about making our approvals system faster,' Mr Black told Sky News' Business Now. 'One of the key things that business has been advocating for is a single desk approach to approvals. 'That means that instead of having a federal approval and a state approval, you have the states, for instance, accredited to look out for the federal approval process at the same time that they're running their own approvals processes.' Mr Black said this would not mean dispensing of the federal system, but consolidating the approvals into one desk to expedite getting more gas onto the system. 'That would make such a big difference but that's only one of a number of key reforms that are required in order to make the overall approval system faster and therefore to get more gas into the system much quicker,' Mr Black said. The BCA CEO, like many in the business community, said the certainty offered by a re-elected Labor Government in terms of energy policy gave them greater confidence, particularly considering the strong majority the Albanese Government holds. Prior to the 2025 Federal Election, many business leaders expressed concerns about the possibility of a Labor-led minority government with the Greens or Teal Independents. Woodside Energy's Meg O'Neill told Business Now last week both parties affirming the importance of gas in the energy mix was 'really positive' as the Greens had vowed there would be no more new gas projects - including Woodside's plans to extend the life of the Northwest Shelf Project. 'We've got to be taking practical steps to tackle the red and green tape that is preventing developments from progressing,' she said.
Sky News AU
29-04-2025
- Business
- Sky News AU
Woodside Energy's CEO Meg O'Neill calls on Albanese, Dutton to slash red tape, prioritise gas in Australia after election
A major energy executive has called on Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton to roll back red tape and prioritise the future of gas in Australia after revealing a new $27b project in the United States. Woodside Energy's chief executive Meg O'Neill made her plea in the lead up to a hotly contested Federal Election, where the future of energy, and its costings, has been a key issue. It also followed the company revealing its decision to proceed with a massive Louisiana project that could see Woodside produce more than five per cent of the world's liquefied natural gas. However, the role of gas in Australia, which is included in both major parties' net zero plans, could be up in the air as a Labor-led minority government with the Greens may be the outcome of the coming Federal Election. Ms O'Neill was pressed on what this type of minority government could mean for the nation as the Greens has vowed there would be no more new gas projects - including Woodside's plans to extend the life of the Northwest Shelf Project. 'One of the things that's been really positive in this election campaign is that both Labor and the Coalition have affirmed the importance of gas in meeting Australia's future energy needs,' Ms O'Neill told Sky News. 'The thing that I'd like to see from whichever party is elected is action to underpin that. 'We've got to be taking practical steps to tackle the red and green tape that is preventing developments from progressing.' She reiterated her plea to whoever emerged successful after Saturday's vote when Sky News' Business Editor Ross Greenwood asked whether Woodside could build its Louisiana project at the same speed if it was in Australia. 'Could you get the seven-year payback in Australia that you can get from that project which is a massive $27b investment?' Greenwood said. Ms O'Neill praised the US$12.5b of investment Woodside has made in the Scarborough gas field on Western Australia's coastline before turning back to the Prime Minister and Mr Dutton. 'Those opportunities are out there, but again, it's a bit of a challenge of needing to roll up your sleeves (and) work through the environmental approvals,' she said. 'That'd be the kind of pitch I'd make to whoever's elected. We need to be taking practical steps to tackle red and green tape in this country.' Under the Coalition's energy plan, about eight per cent of the grid will be made up of gas and storage, while Labor's plan will see six per cent of the grid become gas and storage.
