If elected, the Dutton Coalition has pledged to “approve a bucket load of gas,” drastically expanding the gas industry off Australia’s coasts and accelerating fracking. This policy threatens our marine ecosystems, coastal communities, and the climate.
What is in Dutton’s new gas policy?
More Offshore Gas Exploration Permits & Fast-Tracking Gas Drilling Approvals:
The plan includes releasing new permits for gas exploration across Australia’s coastlines and speeding up approvals for offshore gas drilling, which by default means gutting environmental approvals.
Special Treatment for Woodside:
The Coalition plans to approve the expansion of the North West Shelf gas processing facility at Karratha, which is critical for processing gas from proposed drilling near Scott Reef. Doing so means bypassing environmental assessments by pre-approving the project.
A 1.3 billion handout to gas corporations
While households are stuck with sky high power bills, Dutton plans to allow the Capacity Investment scheme (intended to support renewable energy) to invest in gas projects, with $1bn allocated to gas infrastructure and use an additional $300 million to accelerate gas expansion in the Beetaloo basin.
What Does This Mean for Coastal Communities?
Increased Seismic Blasting:
Gas exploration relies on seismic blasting, which uses deafening underwater explosions to locate gas reserves. This harms marine life, including whales, dolphins, and other wildlife that rely on sound for communication and navigation.
Environmental Degradation:
Fast-tracking approvals for more gas means gutting environmental safeguards, putting fragile ecosystems like Scott Reef at risk.
Climate Pollution
Expanding gas extraction and burning will accelerate climate change, leading to more extreme weather events, rising sea levels, and further harm to our oceans.
Multinationals over communities
Given Australia already has enough gas to meet our needs, and the clean alternatives are widely available, this policy only benefits the multinational gas corporations. Governments should protect our environment, not private profits. This policy locks Australia into decades of fossil fuel dependence, harming our climate, oceans, and communities.
What does this mean for your energy bill?
While disguising this policy as ‘cost of living relief’ – the truth is Dutton plans to give $1.3 billion of your tax dollars to fossil fuel multinationals. In the meantime, he’s shared no detail on how this would actually cut energy bills. Even gas producers have admitted that a “domestic reservation policy” wouldn’t necessarily result in price cuts for consumers.
If the Coalition was serious about lowering household bills, they’d be giving every household access to rooftop solar and battery storage — the cheapest, cleanest way to energy security.
What can you do?
A “bucket load of gas” means decades of harm for our oceans, wildlife, and communities. Let’s make sure the Coalition knows they can’t get away with this.
Take action today and stand up for our coasts, our climate, and our future.
Watch our explainer video on Instagram.