Labor says report backs onshore gas ban

THE Labor state government says a new report has justified its stance against onshore gas in Victoria.

Earlier this month, Minister for Resources Tim Pallas launched the first Victorian Gas Program Progress Report, carried out as part of the Victorian Gas Program set up in the wake of the state’s ban on fracking and unconventional gas.

The report notes that the “potential for onshore conventional gas is relatively small compared to past production and known offshore gas reserves in Bass Strait”, but that “the existing estimates for onshore conventional gas resources are based on desktop assessments”.

“While gas might be present, it may not be able to be extracted in a way that is safe, technically possible or commercially viable.”

There are differing estimates of how much conventional gas might be present in the Otways, the report states, “reflecting uncertainties inherent in the underlying data, use of different estimation methods and differing definitions of the geographical area under assessment, and whether or not unconventional gas is included”.

The Geological Survey of Victoria considers the Port Campbell area the “most prospective for new conventional gas discoveries”, with a “working estimate” of 110 petajoules of onshore gas.

By comparison, there are an estimated 10,738 petajoules of offshore gas in Victoria.

“Following the historic banning of fracking and coal seam gas extraction to protect farming, we have invested in science to produce a sound gas resource estimate and assessment of risks,” Mr Pallas said.

“Our approach is in contrast to the Turnbull Government and the Prime Minister for Sydney, who continues to play politics on this issue and whose instinct is to drill and damn the consequences.”

The state Opposition supports an onshore conventional gas industry in Victoria, as does the Coalition federal government and Corangamite federal member Sarah Henderson.

“Daniel Andrews wants to continue his do-nothing approach to gas and just hope for the best,” Victorian Shadow Minister for Energy and Resources David Southwick said.

“Industry is ready to go on conventional gas. It’s time Daniel Andrews got out of their way, stopped conflating conventional gas with fracking, and got on board with the Liberal Nationals policy to kickstart conventional gas.”