David Close, director of the University of Queensland Gas and...

David Close, director of the University of Queensland Gas and Energy Transition Research Centre, also warned that governments were taking the gas supply issue too lightly.

“The signals have been there for a number of years that there is something here, and it may not be this winter, and it may not be next winter, but without some concerted effort at the state and federal level, at some point this decade, when a cold winter arrives, there are going to be gas shortages, on the balance of probabilities, and that will have serious consequences,” Dr Close said.

“So I don’t think it’s right to say ‘there’s nothing to see here’, because when people take that at face value, and there’s no action, one day there will be a big shock.”