Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Special Minister of State) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on the amendments to the Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Amendment (Cross-boundary Greenhouse Gas Titles and Other Measures) Bill 2019. The amendments are moved by Senator Hanson-Young of the Australian Greens. The amendments are also referred to as 'the moratorium—Great Australian Bight drilling'. That's an accurate summary of what the amendments do. Effectively, the Greens require that this bill only commence if it contains a moratorium on (a) exploring for petroleum in the Commonwealth Great Australian Bight area, (b) recovering petroleum in the Commonwealth Great Australian Bight area and (c) carrying on operations in the Commonwealth Great Australian Bight for those purposes.

We oppose this moratorium for several reasons. Firstly, this bill is concerned with greenhouse gas storage. It makes changes to petroleum titles so that the Commonwealth regulator for offshore petroleum activities, NOPSEMA, can have oversight of offshore greenhouse gas storage activities that straddle both state and Commonwealth waters. It means one regulator has oversight of greenhouse gas storage activities in different jurisdictions. This has been done for improved environmental management and improved workplace safety in the greenhouse gas storage industry of the future.

The bill is also, according to the explanatory memorandum, concerned with the proposed greenhouse gas storage operations in the Bass Strait regarding the CarbonNet and hydrogen energy strategy in Victoria. This bill is not concerned with the Great Australian Bight and is not specifically concerned with petroleum exploration recovery or petroleum operations. These amendments from the Greens detract from a bill that is attempting to improve environmental and workplace safety outcomes in greenhouse gas storage—a technology that will help Australia reduce its greenhouse gas emissions into the future. We therefore oppose the amendments.