A permanent ban on fracking and all exploration and development of unconventional onshore gas will be introduced across Victoria, in a move the state government described as historic and a first for Australia. “We won’t put that at risk with fracking”, Premier Daniel Andrews said.
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The legislative ban will be introduced later this year, according to a statement from Premier Daniel Andrews’ office, and is being framed as a partial response to a parliamentary inquiry into onshore unconventional gas in Victoria that received over 1,600 submissions from the public – a lot of them against fracking.
The decision follows a parliamentary inquiry into onshore unconventional gas mining, which received more than 1,600 submissions.
Exemptions to the ban will remain for activities not covered by the current moratorium, such as gas storage, carbon storage research and accessing offshore resources.
Offshore gas exploration and development will also be permitted to continue, a move which has angered The Greens.
The Victorian government has permanently banned fracking and has kept the moratorium in place on onshore gas exploration and development in the state until 2020.
“This is the first ban of its kind anywhere in our nation, and it just speaks volumes to the dangers, the uncertainty and the anxiety within the Victorian community about fracking”.
The government said its decision was “based on the best available evidence and acknowledges that the risks involved outweigh any potential benefits to Victoria”. The Greens, meanwhile, are calling for a permanent ban on conventional onshore gas drilling as well.
These will be overseen by an expert panel, headed by the Lead Scientist Amanda Caples, and will include farmers and industry, business and community representatives.
Unconventional gas, such as coal seam gas, shale gas and tight gas, is found in complex geological systems and is hard to extract.
The state government will introduce the ban later this year, to protect the state’s farming sector.
Farmers and environmental groups are anxious that groundwater reserves could be depleted or contaminated by both conventional and unconventional onshore gas drilling.
Farmers are anxious that groundwater reserves could be depleted or contaminated by onshore gas drilling.
“Today’s announcement is a big step in that direction, but we won’t relax until farmers and regional communities know they are protected from all onshore gas mining”.
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A recent VFF survey showed members’ greatest concern was the potential for cross-contamination of aquifers as a result of drilling for gas, while others feared it would cause financial or environmental harm.
