Federal Labor Environment Minister Murray Watt outlines issues with Qld LNP Premier David Crisafulli’s Taroom Trough oil plan
Crisafulli’s government wants to accelerate the development of an oil field in Queensland through a mechanism not included in new environmental laws, according to a scathing letter to the prime minister from federal cabinet minister Murray Watt.
The Federal Environment Minister’s letter, sent on Friday and seen by this imprint, also reveals that Queensland has yet to make a formal request to the Albanian government to advance its drilling prospects at Taroom Trough, despite vocal and concerted pressure from the state government for the project.
Prime Minister David Crisafulli on Friday again asked the federal government to grant a national interest exemption for oil exploration under the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act for the prospective project about 300 kilometers west of Brisbane.
“There are some issues I would like to bring to your attention regarding these statements,” Watt wrote in his letter to the prime minister.
“Firstly, the Australian government has not received any documentation that would allow us to consider your proposal. I invite you to submit any such documentation to our consideration without delay,” the federal minister wrote.
“Secondly, it is not clear what you mean by ‘National Interest Rapid Assessment Pathway’ as such a pathway does not exist under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act).”
Watt said the federal government “cannot consider fundamental questions” about Queensland’s Taroom Trough without providing documentation such as the number and depth of proposed oil and gas wells, potential environmental risks and pipelines needed to transport extracted fossil fuel.
Crisafulli also asked the federal government to eliminate duplicate approvals conducted at the state level, but Watt wrote that this expediting mechanism already exists under EPBC laws.
“This [existing bilateral] “The agreement allows the Queensland government to assess projects against the EPBC Act requirements while also assessing them against state requirements,” he wrote.
“This eliminates the need for the Australian government to undertake a separate assessment and is a more efficient process for supporters to move forward.”
Last week state Treasurer David Janetzki ordered the Queensland Productivity Commission to launch a 12-month investigation into the bilateral agreement at EPBC after his government’s bid to accelerate the Taroom Trough through new federal legislation failed.
Watt said the move would only slow down hopes of launching an oil industry in Queensland.
“I urge you to reconsider this position as it would significantly delay Queensland’s opportunity to further accelerate project assessments and approvals,” the Queensland-based minister wrote in a two-page letter to the prime minister.
“In any event, senior officials in my department stand ready to engage with colleagues in Queensland on opportunities to improve Australia’s fuel security, together with appropriate management of impacts to Matters of National Environmental Significance.”
Crisafulli, while voting for a by-election in the state seat of Stafford on Sunday, reiterated his efforts to ensure short, medium and long-term fuel security, which is expected to be his main campaign message ahead of the May 16 vote in Brisbane’s inner-north electorate.
“We are at a crossroads and there is so much uncertainty in society that I want to send a message that we will never again be at the mercy of others when it comes to our own fuel security,” the Prime Minister told reporters.
“We should never again be at the end of a supply chain we don’t control.
“We have the resources and knowledge to control our own destiny with fuel.
“We have a vision to drill, refine and store our own fuel. And the biggest obstacle to that is Labor and the Greens, who are trying to find every reason to block these projects from going forward by putting in extra layers.”
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James Hall is News Director of the Brisbane Times. He is a former Queensland correspondent for The Australian Financial Review and has covered a range of headlines across the country, specializing in political and financial reporting.Connect with: X or email.
