Queensland Government Shows Leadership On Gas Development
Emily Wood | November 6, 2016
The leading voice and advocate for large energy users, the Energy Users Association of Australia (EUAA) has welcomed today’s announcement of the Gas Supply and Demand Action Plan by the Queensland Government. Gas prices have increased dramatically in recent years, in part due to a tightening of the balance between supply and demand while moratoria placed on new gas exploration in some states is exacerbating the situation. “Gas is essential to the operation of many EUAA members businesses so moves to secure more supply at fairer prices is a key for their long-term prospects,” said EUAA CEO Andrew Richards. “The Queensland Government is to be congratulated for the leadership they are showing to develop this important sector and we call on other state governments to lift their moratoria on gas exploration and move to a merits based approach.” Importantly the action plan focuses on engagement with communities to ensure they are treated fairly and are a genuine partner in new gas projects. “Development at any cost is unacceptable so gaining a social license to operate from the community and ensuring benefits are shared is fundamental to the long-term future of the gas industry.” Gas is not only an important input for many businesses but a key part of the energy generation mix as the sector transitions to be less carbon intensive. “Governments are aiming to achieve deep emissions cuts in the coming decades. Therefore, reliable access to affordable gas will have to play an increasingly important role as it replaces aging coal assets and provides critical energy balancing in a market with more renewable and distributed energy.” “There is much work to do on energy policy at both state and federal level to ensure we have a sustainable, reliable and affordable energy system. The Queensland governments action plan is a good first step towards these objectives.”