Letter to Hon. Madeline King, Resources Minister Re: Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Legislation Amendment (Safety and Other Measures) Bill 2024

Letter to Hon. Madeline King, Resources Minister Re: Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Legislation Amendment (Safety and Other Measures) Bill 2024
By Alec Roberts

14 March 2024
 
The Hon. Madeleine King,
Minister for Resources
PO Box 6022
House of Representatives
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600
 
 
 
Re: Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Legislation Amendment (Safety and Other Measures) Bill 2024

Dear Minister

I am writing to you regarding the proposal to exempt offshore gas projects from scrutiny under Australia’s national nature protection laws through the proposed addition of section 790E to the Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Act 2006 (Cth) (OPGGS Act).

I am writing to you directly as there was inadequate time given to make a submission on the Bill.

Offshore gas extraction poses significant risks to our oceans, reefs, and marine life, and it also contributes significantly to climate damage, impacting Australian communities and our natural environment.

The government is responsible for the environment, the health and wellbeing of its citizens, and the financial security of the nation. As we see the impact of increased carbon emissions, we also find evidence of the deleterious impact on Australian native wildlife, the Australian people and the wealth of the nation.  There is only 3 years left at present emission rates of the 2013-2050 emission budget to stay below 1.5°C with Australia having exceeded its carbon budget for 2050 by 2027. By 2055 Australia will experience economic losses on par with covid, getting worse every single year due to unchecked climate change.

The proposed changes would undermine the environmental protection standards established by the EPBC Act while granting offshore oil and gas companies streamlined approvals. This compromise is unacceptable. Instead, we should focus on strengthening environmental laws, not weakening them.
The proposed amendment appears to allow regulatory changes under the OPGGS Act not to trigger a review of accreditations under the existing endorsed NOPSEMA program through the EPBC Act.  Without any safeguard, changes to regulations and legislation that may be deleterious to the environment, climate, and people of Australia would be automatically included under the existing NOPSEMA accreditation program without any scrutiny or recourse.

The timing of this proposed legislative amendment is not ideal, as the Federal Government is consulting on significant changes to the EPBC Act with new nature positive laws, including new National Environment Standards that will impact on the operation of this bill.  It is also unclear how this bill would interact with the proposed new nature positive laws.

The ambitious nature law reforms deserve our attention and support. We must resist any pre-emptive carve-outs that favour destructive industries. Approving new offshore oil and gas projects would exacerbate climate challenges and harm our communities and nature.

It is crucial that our government stands firm against pressure from companies like Woodside and Santos, prioritizing transparency and public scrutiny over rushed approvals. Let us work together to protect our environment and ensure a sustainable future for all Australians.
 

The proposed carveout of the NOPSEMA endorsed program from existing accreditation laws under the EPBC Act is untimely considering the current reforms of the EPBC Act and introduces serious undermining of the nature and effectiveness of accreditation through the EPBC Act.
 
Please remove section 790E Approval under Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999—interaction with this Act and Environment Regulations from the Bill.

Thank you for taking the time to consider my views and perspectives.

Yours faithfully,
​
Alec Roberts
Gateshead, NSW