Latest news with #LocktheGate
The Advertiser
10-06-2025
- Politics
- The Advertiser
Environmental group launches legal challenge over coal mine expansion plans
Question marks over the level of scrutiny of coal mining expansion plans lay at the heart of legal action against the NSW State Government. Environmental group Lock the Gate Alliance launched legal action after the NSW Planning Department twice refused to release correspondence from coal company lawyers. The department released only two out of a suite of documents used by coal companies to justify the assessment of changes to coal mine developments as "modifications", rather than new developments. Lock the Gate's argument is that expanding coal mines via modifications means coal mine developers can avoid having their plans determined by the independent decision maker, the Independent Planning Commission. In November 2024, the Information Commissioner found the department's decision to refuse the information was not justified and recommended that the department make a new decision. However, that recommendation was ignored. The department has argued the documents were provided in confidence, and that consideration outweighed the public interest in favour of their release. The matter is now listed before the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal for determination, starting with a directions hearing today (June 10). Lock the Gate's head of research and investigations, Georgina Wood, said the public had a right to know if big coal mine developers were influencing the NSW Minns Government and its Planning Department, leading to coal projects being assessed under a less transparent, less accessible process. "There are ten coal projects undergoing or awaiting assessment as modifications, and we want to make sure they are subject to the highest level of scrutiny available in NSW," Ms Woods said. They include the HVO Continuation Project, a Yancoal/Glencore joint venture near Singleton which, if approved, would be the single biggest coal expansion since the Paris Agreement. Other plans in the wings include the Rix's Creek north Continuation, also near Singleton, and the proposed four-year extension of BHP's Mt Arthur coal mine near Muswellbrook. The NSW Government must give full consideration to the impacts large coal mine expansions are having on communities, water, farmland, the environment, and climate and let the public participate in decision-making, Ms Woods said. "The continued expansion of coal mining and its greenhouse gas pollution is endangering the well-being of the public and the economic future of other industries right across NSW," she said. "These expanded coal mining proposals should not be snuck through the system without scrutiny and public debate about who is paying the cost for the coal mining industry pollution." The Alliance will be represented by the Environmental Defenders Office (EDO) a leading public interest environmental law service. EDO managing lawyer Rana Koroglu said the alliance was simply taking this action to uphold community rights to access information held by their governments. "Public access to information and transparency of government decision making are cornerstones of our democracy. Public participation is built into the NSW Planning Act," Ms Koroglu said. "The weaker assessment of coal mine developments as modifications rather than new developments has serious implications for public participation. Any such decision requires close scrutiny. "Our client is taking this matter to the NCAT to ensure that decision-making is transparent and that public authorities can be held to account for their actions. "Our client rejects the Planning Department's assertion that information shared by coal mining companies with the regulator is subject to professional legal privilege and therefore exempt under the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009. "Our client considers that it is in the public interest for this information to be released. That is why our client has decided to take the matter to the NCAT for a determination." Lock the Gate analysis of coal mine expansion plans reveals that only four of the nine being treated as modification plans provide estimated greenhouse gas emissions figures, and they come to 324 million tonnes of C02-e emissions. That is equal to two and a half times the volume of emissions produced in NSW in 2019, from just four coal mines that are not subject to independent scrutiny, Lock the Gate says. Question marks over the level of scrutiny of coal mining expansion plans lay at the heart of legal action against the NSW State Government. Environmental group Lock the Gate Alliance launched legal action after the NSW Planning Department twice refused to release correspondence from coal company lawyers. The department released only two out of a suite of documents used by coal companies to justify the assessment of changes to coal mine developments as "modifications", rather than new developments. Lock the Gate's argument is that expanding coal mines via modifications means coal mine developers can avoid having their plans determined by the independent decision maker, the Independent Planning Commission. In November 2024, the Information Commissioner found the department's decision to refuse the information was not justified and recommended that the department make a new decision. However, that recommendation was ignored. The department has argued the documents were provided in confidence, and that consideration outweighed the public interest in favour of their release. The matter is now listed before the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal for determination, starting with a directions hearing today (June 10). Lock the Gate's head of research and investigations, Georgina Wood, said the public had a right to know if big coal mine developers were influencing the NSW Minns Government and its Planning Department, leading to coal projects being assessed under a less transparent, less accessible process. "There are ten coal projects undergoing or awaiting assessment as modifications, and we want to make sure they are subject to the highest level of scrutiny available in NSW," Ms Woods said. They include the HVO Continuation Project, a Yancoal/Glencore joint venture near Singleton which, if approved, would be the single biggest coal expansion since the Paris Agreement. Other plans in the wings include the Rix's Creek north Continuation, also near Singleton, and the proposed four-year extension of BHP's Mt Arthur coal mine near Muswellbrook. The NSW Government must give full consideration to the impacts large coal mine expansions are having on communities, water, farmland, the environment, and climate and let the public participate in decision-making, Ms Woods said. "The continued expansion of coal mining and its greenhouse gas pollution is endangering the well-being of the public and the economic future of other industries right across NSW," she said. "These expanded coal mining proposals should not be snuck through the system without scrutiny and public debate about who is paying the cost for the coal mining industry pollution." The Alliance will be represented by the Environmental Defenders Office (EDO) a leading public interest environmental law service. EDO managing lawyer Rana Koroglu said the alliance was simply taking this action to uphold community rights to access information held by their governments. "Public access to information and transparency of government decision making are cornerstones of our democracy. Public participation is built into the NSW Planning Act," Ms Koroglu said. "The weaker assessment of coal mine developments as modifications rather than new developments has serious implications for public participation. Any such decision requires close scrutiny. "Our client is taking this matter to the NCAT to ensure that decision-making is transparent and that public authorities can be held to account for their actions. "Our client rejects the Planning Department's assertion that information shared by coal mining companies with the regulator is subject to professional legal privilege and therefore exempt under the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009. "Our client considers that it is in the public interest for this information to be released. That is why our client has decided to take the matter to the NCAT for a determination." Lock the Gate analysis of coal mine expansion plans reveals that only four of the nine being treated as modification plans provide estimated greenhouse gas emissions figures, and they come to 324 million tonnes of C02-e emissions. That is equal to two and a half times the volume of emissions produced in NSW in 2019, from just four coal mines that are not subject to independent scrutiny, Lock the Gate says. Question marks over the level of scrutiny of coal mining expansion plans lay at the heart of legal action against the NSW State Government. Environmental group Lock the Gate Alliance launched legal action after the NSW Planning Department twice refused to release correspondence from coal company lawyers. The department released only two out of a suite of documents used by coal companies to justify the assessment of changes to coal mine developments as "modifications", rather than new developments. Lock the Gate's argument is that expanding coal mines via modifications means coal mine developers can avoid having their plans determined by the independent decision maker, the Independent Planning Commission. In November 2024, the Information Commissioner found the department's decision to refuse the information was not justified and recommended that the department make a new decision. However, that recommendation was ignored. The department has argued the documents were provided in confidence, and that consideration outweighed the public interest in favour of their release. The matter is now listed before the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal for determination, starting with a directions hearing today (June 10). Lock the Gate's head of research and investigations, Georgina Wood, said the public had a right to know if big coal mine developers were influencing the NSW Minns Government and its Planning Department, leading to coal projects being assessed under a less transparent, less accessible process. "There are ten coal projects undergoing or awaiting assessment as modifications, and we want to make sure they are subject to the highest level of scrutiny available in NSW," Ms Woods said. They include the HVO Continuation Project, a Yancoal/Glencore joint venture near Singleton which, if approved, would be the single biggest coal expansion since the Paris Agreement. Other plans in the wings include the Rix's Creek north Continuation, also near Singleton, and the proposed four-year extension of BHP's Mt Arthur coal mine near Muswellbrook. The NSW Government must give full consideration to the impacts large coal mine expansions are having on communities, water, farmland, the environment, and climate and let the public participate in decision-making, Ms Woods said. "The continued expansion of coal mining and its greenhouse gas pollution is endangering the well-being of the public and the economic future of other industries right across NSW," she said. "These expanded coal mining proposals should not be snuck through the system without scrutiny and public debate about who is paying the cost for the coal mining industry pollution." The Alliance will be represented by the Environmental Defenders Office (EDO) a leading public interest environmental law service. EDO managing lawyer Rana Koroglu said the alliance was simply taking this action to uphold community rights to access information held by their governments. "Public access to information and transparency of government decision making are cornerstones of our democracy. Public participation is built into the NSW Planning Act," Ms Koroglu said. "The weaker assessment of coal mine developments as modifications rather than new developments has serious implications for public participation. Any such decision requires close scrutiny. "Our client is taking this matter to the NCAT to ensure that decision-making is transparent and that public authorities can be held to account for their actions. "Our client rejects the Planning Department's assertion that information shared by coal mining companies with the regulator is subject to professional legal privilege and therefore exempt under the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009. "Our client considers that it is in the public interest for this information to be released. That is why our client has decided to take the matter to the NCAT for a determination." Lock the Gate analysis of coal mine expansion plans reveals that only four of the nine being treated as modification plans provide estimated greenhouse gas emissions figures, and they come to 324 million tonnes of C02-e emissions. That is equal to two and a half times the volume of emissions produced in NSW in 2019, from just four coal mines that are not subject to independent scrutiny, Lock the Gate says. Question marks over the level of scrutiny of coal mining expansion plans lay at the heart of legal action against the NSW State Government. Environmental group Lock the Gate Alliance launched legal action after the NSW Planning Department twice refused to release correspondence from coal company lawyers. The department released only two out of a suite of documents used by coal companies to justify the assessment of changes to coal mine developments as "modifications", rather than new developments. Lock the Gate's argument is that expanding coal mines via modifications means coal mine developers can avoid having their plans determined by the independent decision maker, the Independent Planning Commission. In November 2024, the Information Commissioner found the department's decision to refuse the information was not justified and recommended that the department make a new decision. However, that recommendation was ignored. The department has argued the documents were provided in confidence, and that consideration outweighed the public interest in favour of their release. The matter is now listed before the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal for determination, starting with a directions hearing today (June 10). Lock the Gate's head of research and investigations, Georgina Wood, said the public had a right to know if big coal mine developers were influencing the NSW Minns Government and its Planning Department, leading to coal projects being assessed under a less transparent, less accessible process. "There are ten coal projects undergoing or awaiting assessment as modifications, and we want to make sure they are subject to the highest level of scrutiny available in NSW," Ms Woods said. They include the HVO Continuation Project, a Yancoal/Glencore joint venture near Singleton which, if approved, would be the single biggest coal expansion since the Paris Agreement. Other plans in the wings include the Rix's Creek north Continuation, also near Singleton, and the proposed four-year extension of BHP's Mt Arthur coal mine near Muswellbrook. The NSW Government must give full consideration to the impacts large coal mine expansions are having on communities, water, farmland, the environment, and climate and let the public participate in decision-making, Ms Woods said. "The continued expansion of coal mining and its greenhouse gas pollution is endangering the well-being of the public and the economic future of other industries right across NSW," she said. "These expanded coal mining proposals should not be snuck through the system without scrutiny and public debate about who is paying the cost for the coal mining industry pollution." The Alliance will be represented by the Environmental Defenders Office (EDO) a leading public interest environmental law service. EDO managing lawyer Rana Koroglu said the alliance was simply taking this action to uphold community rights to access information held by their governments. "Public access to information and transparency of government decision making are cornerstones of our democracy. Public participation is built into the NSW Planning Act," Ms Koroglu said. "The weaker assessment of coal mine developments as modifications rather than new developments has serious implications for public participation. Any such decision requires close scrutiny. "Our client is taking this matter to the NCAT to ensure that decision-making is transparent and that public authorities can be held to account for their actions. "Our client rejects the Planning Department's assertion that information shared by coal mining companies with the regulator is subject to professional legal privilege and therefore exempt under the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009. "Our client considers that it is in the public interest for this information to be released. That is why our client has decided to take the matter to the NCAT for a determination." Lock the Gate analysis of coal mine expansion plans reveals that only four of the nine being treated as modification plans provide estimated greenhouse gas emissions figures, and they come to 324 million tonnes of C02-e emissions. That is equal to two and a half times the volume of emissions produced in NSW in 2019, from just four coal mines that are not subject to independent scrutiny, Lock the Gate says.
The Advertiser
10-06-2025
- Politics
- The Advertiser
Legal challenge over refusal to release coal company correspondence with NSW Government
QUESTION marks over the level of scrutiny of coal mining expansion plans lay at the heart of legal action against the NSW State Government. Environmental group Lock the Gate Alliance launched legal action after the NSW Planning Department twice refused to release correspondence from coal company lawyers. The department released only two out of a suite of documents used by coal companies to justify the assessment of changes to coal mine developments as "modifications", rather than new developments. Lock the Gate's argument is that expanding coal mines via modifications means coal mine developers can avoid having their plans determined by the independent decision maker, the Independent Planning Commission. In November 2024, the Information Commissioner found the department's decision to refuse the information was not justified and recommended that the department make a new decision. However, that recommendation was ignored. The department has argued the documents were provided in confidence, and that consideration outweighed the public interest in favour of their release. The matter is now listed before the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal for determination, starting with a directions hearing today (June 10). Lock the Gate's head of research and investigations, Georgina Wood, said the public had a right to know if big coal mine developers were influencing the NSW Minns Government and its Planning Department, leading to coal projects being assessed under a less transparent, less accessible process. "There are ten coal projects undergoing or awaiting assessment as modifications, and we want to make sure they are subject to the highest level of scrutiny available in NSW," Ms Woods said. They include the HVO Continuation Project, a Yancoal/Glencore joint venture near Singleton which, if approved, would be the single biggest coal expansion since the Paris Agreement. Other plans in the wings include the Rix's Creek north Continuation, also near Singleton, and the proposed four-year extension of BHP's Mt Arthur coal mine near Muswellbrook. The NSW Government must give full consideration to the impacts large coal mine expansions are having on communities, water, farmland, the environment, and climate and let the public participate in decision-making, Ms Woods said. "The continued expansion of coal mining and its greenhouse gas pollution is endangering the well-being of the public and the economic future of other industries right across NSW," she said. "These expanded coal mining proposals should not be snuck through the system without scrutiny and public debate about who is paying the cost for the coal mining industry pollution." The Alliance will be represented by the Environmental Defenders Office (EDO) a leading public interest environmental law service. EDO managing lawyer Rana Koroglu said the alliance was simply taking this action to uphold community rights to access information held by their governments. "Public access to information and transparency of government decision making are cornerstones of our democracy. Public participation is built into the NSW Planning Act," Ms Koroglu said. "The weaker assessment of coal mine developments as modifications rather than new developments has serious implications for public participation. Any such decision requires close scrutiny. "Our client is taking this matter to the NCAT to ensure that decision-making is transparent and that public authorities can be held to account for their actions. "Our client rejects the Planning Department's assertion that information shared by coal mining companies with the regulator is subject to professional legal privilege and therefore exempt under the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009. "Our client considers that it is in the public interest for this information to be released. That is why our client has decided to take the matter to the NCAT for a determination." Lock the Gate analysis of coal mine expansion plans reveals that only four of the nine being treated as modification plans provide estimated greenhouse gas emissions figures, and they come to 324 million tonnes of C02-e emissions. That is equal to two and a half times the volume of emissions produced in NSW in 2019, from just four coal mines that are not subject to independent scrutiny, Lock the Gate says. QUESTION marks over the level of scrutiny of coal mining expansion plans lay at the heart of legal action against the NSW State Government. Environmental group Lock the Gate Alliance launched legal action after the NSW Planning Department twice refused to release correspondence from coal company lawyers. The department released only two out of a suite of documents used by coal companies to justify the assessment of changes to coal mine developments as "modifications", rather than new developments. Lock the Gate's argument is that expanding coal mines via modifications means coal mine developers can avoid having their plans determined by the independent decision maker, the Independent Planning Commission. In November 2024, the Information Commissioner found the department's decision to refuse the information was not justified and recommended that the department make a new decision. However, that recommendation was ignored. The department has argued the documents were provided in confidence, and that consideration outweighed the public interest in favour of their release. The matter is now listed before the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal for determination, starting with a directions hearing today (June 10). Lock the Gate's head of research and investigations, Georgina Wood, said the public had a right to know if big coal mine developers were influencing the NSW Minns Government and its Planning Department, leading to coal projects being assessed under a less transparent, less accessible process. "There are ten coal projects undergoing or awaiting assessment as modifications, and we want to make sure they are subject to the highest level of scrutiny available in NSW," Ms Woods said. They include the HVO Continuation Project, a Yancoal/Glencore joint venture near Singleton which, if approved, would be the single biggest coal expansion since the Paris Agreement. Other plans in the wings include the Rix's Creek north Continuation, also near Singleton, and the proposed four-year extension of BHP's Mt Arthur coal mine near Muswellbrook. The NSW Government must give full consideration to the impacts large coal mine expansions are having on communities, water, farmland, the environment, and climate and let the public participate in decision-making, Ms Woods said. "The continued expansion of coal mining and its greenhouse gas pollution is endangering the well-being of the public and the economic future of other industries right across NSW," she said. "These expanded coal mining proposals should not be snuck through the system without scrutiny and public debate about who is paying the cost for the coal mining industry pollution." The Alliance will be represented by the Environmental Defenders Office (EDO) a leading public interest environmental law service. EDO managing lawyer Rana Koroglu said the alliance was simply taking this action to uphold community rights to access information held by their governments. "Public access to information and transparency of government decision making are cornerstones of our democracy. Public participation is built into the NSW Planning Act," Ms Koroglu said. "The weaker assessment of coal mine developments as modifications rather than new developments has serious implications for public participation. Any such decision requires close scrutiny. "Our client is taking this matter to the NCAT to ensure that decision-making is transparent and that public authorities can be held to account for their actions. "Our client rejects the Planning Department's assertion that information shared by coal mining companies with the regulator is subject to professional legal privilege and therefore exempt under the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009. "Our client considers that it is in the public interest for this information to be released. That is why our client has decided to take the matter to the NCAT for a determination." Lock the Gate analysis of coal mine expansion plans reveals that only four of the nine being treated as modification plans provide estimated greenhouse gas emissions figures, and they come to 324 million tonnes of C02-e emissions. That is equal to two and a half times the volume of emissions produced in NSW in 2019, from just four coal mines that are not subject to independent scrutiny, Lock the Gate says. QUESTION marks over the level of scrutiny of coal mining expansion plans lay at the heart of legal action against the NSW State Government. Environmental group Lock the Gate Alliance launched legal action after the NSW Planning Department twice refused to release correspondence from coal company lawyers. The department released only two out of a suite of documents used by coal companies to justify the assessment of changes to coal mine developments as "modifications", rather than new developments. Lock the Gate's argument is that expanding coal mines via modifications means coal mine developers can avoid having their plans determined by the independent decision maker, the Independent Planning Commission. In November 2024, the Information Commissioner found the department's decision to refuse the information was not justified and recommended that the department make a new decision. However, that recommendation was ignored. The department has argued the documents were provided in confidence, and that consideration outweighed the public interest in favour of their release. The matter is now listed before the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal for determination, starting with a directions hearing today (June 10). Lock the Gate's head of research and investigations, Georgina Wood, said the public had a right to know if big coal mine developers were influencing the NSW Minns Government and its Planning Department, leading to coal projects being assessed under a less transparent, less accessible process. "There are ten coal projects undergoing or awaiting assessment as modifications, and we want to make sure they are subject to the highest level of scrutiny available in NSW," Ms Woods said. They include the HVO Continuation Project, a Yancoal/Glencore joint venture near Singleton which, if approved, would be the single biggest coal expansion since the Paris Agreement. Other plans in the wings include the Rix's Creek north Continuation, also near Singleton, and the proposed four-year extension of BHP's Mt Arthur coal mine near Muswellbrook. The NSW Government must give full consideration to the impacts large coal mine expansions are having on communities, water, farmland, the environment, and climate and let the public participate in decision-making, Ms Woods said. "The continued expansion of coal mining and its greenhouse gas pollution is endangering the well-being of the public and the economic future of other industries right across NSW," she said. "These expanded coal mining proposals should not be snuck through the system without scrutiny and public debate about who is paying the cost for the coal mining industry pollution." The Alliance will be represented by the Environmental Defenders Office (EDO) a leading public interest environmental law service. EDO managing lawyer Rana Koroglu said the alliance was simply taking this action to uphold community rights to access information held by their governments. "Public access to information and transparency of government decision making are cornerstones of our democracy. Public participation is built into the NSW Planning Act," Ms Koroglu said. "The weaker assessment of coal mine developments as modifications rather than new developments has serious implications for public participation. Any such decision requires close scrutiny. "Our client is taking this matter to the NCAT to ensure that decision-making is transparent and that public authorities can be held to account for their actions. "Our client rejects the Planning Department's assertion that information shared by coal mining companies with the regulator is subject to professional legal privilege and therefore exempt under the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009. "Our client considers that it is in the public interest for this information to be released. That is why our client has decided to take the matter to the NCAT for a determination." Lock the Gate analysis of coal mine expansion plans reveals that only four of the nine being treated as modification plans provide estimated greenhouse gas emissions figures, and they come to 324 million tonnes of C02-e emissions. That is equal to two and a half times the volume of emissions produced in NSW in 2019, from just four coal mines that are not subject to independent scrutiny, Lock the Gate says. QUESTION marks over the level of scrutiny of coal mining expansion plans lay at the heart of legal action against the NSW State Government. Environmental group Lock the Gate Alliance launched legal action after the NSW Planning Department twice refused to release correspondence from coal company lawyers. The department released only two out of a suite of documents used by coal companies to justify the assessment of changes to coal mine developments as "modifications", rather than new developments. Lock the Gate's argument is that expanding coal mines via modifications means coal mine developers can avoid having their plans determined by the independent decision maker, the Independent Planning Commission. In November 2024, the Information Commissioner found the department's decision to refuse the information was not justified and recommended that the department make a new decision. However, that recommendation was ignored. The department has argued the documents were provided in confidence, and that consideration outweighed the public interest in favour of their release. The matter is now listed before the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal for determination, starting with a directions hearing today (June 10). Lock the Gate's head of research and investigations, Georgina Wood, said the public had a right to know if big coal mine developers were influencing the NSW Minns Government and its Planning Department, leading to coal projects being assessed under a less transparent, less accessible process. "There are ten coal projects undergoing or awaiting assessment as modifications, and we want to make sure they are subject to the highest level of scrutiny available in NSW," Ms Woods said. They include the HVO Continuation Project, a Yancoal/Glencore joint venture near Singleton which, if approved, would be the single biggest coal expansion since the Paris Agreement. Other plans in the wings include the Rix's Creek north Continuation, also near Singleton, and the proposed four-year extension of BHP's Mt Arthur coal mine near Muswellbrook. The NSW Government must give full consideration to the impacts large coal mine expansions are having on communities, water, farmland, the environment, and climate and let the public participate in decision-making, Ms Woods said. "The continued expansion of coal mining and its greenhouse gas pollution is endangering the well-being of the public and the economic future of other industries right across NSW," she said. "These expanded coal mining proposals should not be snuck through the system without scrutiny and public debate about who is paying the cost for the coal mining industry pollution." The Alliance will be represented by the Environmental Defenders Office (EDO) a leading public interest environmental law service. EDO managing lawyer Rana Koroglu said the alliance was simply taking this action to uphold community rights to access information held by their governments. "Public access to information and transparency of government decision making are cornerstones of our democracy. Public participation is built into the NSW Planning Act," Ms Koroglu said. "The weaker assessment of coal mine developments as modifications rather than new developments has serious implications for public participation. Any such decision requires close scrutiny. "Our client is taking this matter to the NCAT to ensure that decision-making is transparent and that public authorities can be held to account for their actions. "Our client rejects the Planning Department's assertion that information shared by coal mining companies with the regulator is subject to professional legal privilege and therefore exempt under the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009. "Our client considers that it is in the public interest for this information to be released. That is why our client has decided to take the matter to the NCAT for a determination." Lock the Gate analysis of coal mine expansion plans reveals that only four of the nine being treated as modification plans provide estimated greenhouse gas emissions figures, and they come to 324 million tonnes of C02-e emissions. That is equal to two and a half times the volume of emissions produced in NSW in 2019, from just four coal mines that are not subject to independent scrutiny, Lock the Gate says.
Sydney Morning Herald
08-06-2025
- Business
- Sydney Morning Herald
Moving on before cleaning up: Gas wells spark fears for the Kimberley
The regulator has now listed both the well-containing leases as pending cancellation, and said it prefers sites to be decommissioned and rehabilitated before cancellation takes place, because this facilitates access arrangements. Rey Resources, which sold the subsidiary and wells but remains their operator, has no apparent use for them and ascribes little value to them; before the sale it wrote down their value from nearly $5 million to $400,000 and its latest shareholder update gives no mention of them in its text or tenements map. But rather than plan decommissioning or rehabilitation, after the government knocked back its last environmental plans for the sites, Rey Resources lodged two fresh plans for only annual inspections and maintenance. Environmental group Lock the Gate says they also contain multiple inaccuracies; they do not reference or address the 44 breaches the regulator identified in 2021 that gave rise to the recent government directions notice, instead referencing a nearly decade-old inspection. They also refer to tanks and fences that Lock the Gate says no longer exist on the sites, and security measures Lock the Gate says were also not executed. Lock the Gate also says they contain passages that are obvious remnants of older documents. DEMIRS has estimated the cost to close an abandoned gas well at $1.5 million but that was in 2021 and an easier location, leading Lock the Gate to estimate that the clean-up for these three wells could exceed $5 million given their greater number. Operator Rey Resources hopes to strike it rich from its other leases, including the huge Derby Block tenement covering King Sound and the land adjacent to the wells. Shortly before announcing the China Guoxin deal, Rey applied to clear more than 3000 kilometres of grid lines across Derby Block for seismic testing, prompting fears from Lock the Gate that it lacked either the serious intention or capabilities to safely carry out such work in this high-value location, which is also subject to floods, extreme tides and cyclones. The applications then disappeared and in March, Rey lodged a new plan for Derby Block, which the regulator says it is 'screening'. The WA government has also listed the Derby Block tenement as under 12-month suspension with an extension application lodged in September 2024 for a second year. Rey Resources recently advised investors it was 'actively contacting with Native Title holders and landowners for the land access for the proposed 3D Seismic survey' and 'working with consultant [sic] for the update of [Derby Block's] seismic environmental plan.' It remains unclear whether the department intends to issue further directions notices to China Guoxin/Gulliver Productions regarding the two other wells. Rey Resources did not respond to a request for comment. Attempts to contact China Guoxin Investment Holdings were unsuccessful. Environs Kimberley executive director Martin Pritchard said Minister for Mines and Petroleum David Michael needed to take charge before this evolved into a 'Northern Endeavour' situation, referring to the ageing disused oil vessel Woodside sold to an inexperienced company that failed and left the federal government with an enormous clean-up bill. 'We're calling on Minister Michael to explain how taxpayers will not become liable,' Pritchard said. 'Oil and gas companies appear to have free rein in the Kimberley to undertake exploration, but it looks like existing legislation is failing to ensure that industry cleans up the mess.' Lock the Gate says the government should permanently remove these tenements, which could represent the beginning of an extensive fracking industry in the region. Minister Michael said the safe, timely and responsible decommissioning of oil and gas infrastructure was a government priority. He said the complexity of ownership and operational history at particular sites often required thorough due diligence to resolve liability, which DEMIRS prioritised to ensure compliance. In March 2024, he said, DEMIRS released a new guideline outlining the requirements for decommissioning of petroleum and geothermal energy assets, including wells, in WA's onshore areas and state coastal waters.
The Age
08-06-2025
- Business
- The Age
Moving on before cleaning up: Gas wells spark fears for the Kimberley
The regulator has now listed both the well-containing leases as pending cancellation, and said it prefers sites to be decommissioned and rehabilitated before cancellation takes place, because this facilitates access arrangements. Rey Resources, which sold the subsidiary and wells but remains their operator, has no apparent use for them and ascribes little value to them; before the sale it wrote down their value from nearly $5 million to $400,000 and its latest shareholder update gives no mention of them in its text or tenements map. But rather than plan decommissioning or rehabilitation, after the government knocked back its last environmental plans for the sites, Rey Resources lodged two fresh plans for only annual inspections and maintenance. Environmental group Lock the Gate says they also contain multiple inaccuracies; they do not reference or address the 44 breaches the regulator identified in 2021 that gave rise to the recent government directions notice, instead referencing a nearly decade-old inspection. They also refer to tanks and fences that Lock the Gate says no longer exist on the sites, and security measures Lock the Gate says were also not executed. Lock the Gate also says they contain passages that are obvious remnants of older documents. DEMIRS has estimated the cost to close an abandoned gas well at $1.5 million but that was in 2021 and an easier location, leading Lock the Gate to estimate that the clean-up for these three wells could exceed $5 million given their greater number. Operator Rey Resources hopes to strike it rich from its other leases, including the huge Derby Block tenement covering King Sound and the land adjacent to the wells. Shortly before announcing the China Guoxin deal, Rey applied to clear more than 3000 kilometres of grid lines across Derby Block for seismic testing, prompting fears from Lock the Gate that it lacked either the serious intention or capabilities to safely carry out such work in this high-value location, which is also subject to floods, extreme tides and cyclones. The applications then disappeared and in March, Rey lodged a new plan for Derby Block, which the regulator says it is 'screening'. The WA government has also listed the Derby Block tenement as under 12-month suspension with an extension application lodged in September 2024 for a second year. Rey Resources recently advised investors it was 'actively contacting with Native Title holders and landowners for the land access for the proposed 3D Seismic survey' and 'working with consultant [sic] for the update of [Derby Block's] seismic environmental plan.' It remains unclear whether the department intends to issue further directions notices to China Guoxin/Gulliver Productions regarding the two other wells. Rey Resources did not respond to a request for comment. Attempts to contact China Guoxin Investment Holdings were unsuccessful. Environs Kimberley executive director Martin Pritchard said Minister for Mines and Petroleum David Michael needed to take charge before this evolved into a 'Northern Endeavour' situation, referring to the ageing disused oil vessel Woodside sold to an inexperienced company that failed and left the federal government with an enormous clean-up bill. 'We're calling on Minister Michael to explain how taxpayers will not become liable,' Pritchard said. 'Oil and gas companies appear to have free rein in the Kimberley to undertake exploration, but it looks like existing legislation is failing to ensure that industry cleans up the mess.' Lock the Gate says the government should permanently remove these tenements, which could represent the beginning of an extensive fracking industry in the region. Minister Michael said the safe, timely and responsible decommissioning of oil and gas infrastructure was a government priority. He said the complexity of ownership and operational history at particular sites often required thorough due diligence to resolve liability, which DEMIRS prioritised to ensure compliance. In March 2024, he said, DEMIRS released a new guideline outlining the requirements for decommissioning of petroleum and geothermal energy assets, including wells, in WA's onshore areas and state coastal waters.
West Australian
28-05-2025
- Business
- West Australian
Environmentalists slam new gas exploration sites
Environmentalists have slammed a state government's decision to open nine new gas exploration sites, claiming it will only support the international market. The Queensland government will open the new fields spanning 16,000 square kilometres across the state to tap into further gas reserves. The fields will span Cooper, Eromanga, Bowen and Surat basins in the state's regions using conventional gas extraction methods and coal seam gas. Resources Minister Dale Last said the exploration sites will be vital to finding a new supply to meet the growing demand for energy across Australia amid fears of blackouts along the east coast. "The best way to bring down energy prices is to have more energy in the market, and that starts with exploration," Mr Last said in a statement. "These steps are about unlocking new supply, securing an investment pipeline and getting the right policy settings in place so Queensland can lead the way on energy security." The Australian Energy Market Operator has previously issued blackout warnings in NSW and Queensland during summer due to high electricity demand and hot temperatures. Natural gas accounted for more than a quarter of Australia's total energy consumption in 2022-23, with 1518 petajoules used. Mr Last said "unscientific" decisions made by southern states have left Queensland carrying the load for the east coast gas market, leading to the need for more exploration. "We need a regulatory framework that supports new development, instead of holding it back," he said. But environmentalists have called the announcement devastating and deceitful. "The government should be ashamed to look Queenslanders impacted by climate-fuelled disasters in the eye, and pretend that they care," Queensland Conservation Council Director Dave Copeman said. Gas is Queensland's second-largest export behind coal, with the state producing 1550 petajoules of coal seam gas to supply both the international and domestic markets in 2024. Mr Copeman said it is a false narrative that the new exploration sites will support other states and territories when the bulk of the gas is exported. "No company is planning to pipe gas from the Bowen basin to Melbourne," he said. Other environmental advocates also say the announcement will only benefit multinational gas companies instead of Queenslanders. "The vast majority of Queensland's gas is destined for export, not for domestic use," Lock the Gate's Ellen Roberts said. She called for an urgent moratorium on the gas expansions to prevent any possible damage to the land and underground water resources regional communities rely on. The state government also announced it will carry out a three-month land release review starting on Wednesday to consider opening more gas exploration sites. The review is set to look at the needs of the energy market as well as the environmental and community impacts. It will consider changes to the land release expression of interest process, the land release area selection process, and the competitive tender process. The state government's gas expansion decision follows a previous pledge to scrap ambitious emissions reduction targets, ordering a review of the legislation. The former Labor government legislated 50 per cent emissions reduction targets by 2030, and 75 per cent by 2035. The Liberal National government has said it is committed to net zero by 2050.
