cooper basin: national priority?

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-03-27/gas-boom-threatens-australian-manufacturing-jobs/5349822

"Thousands of job losses have been announced in Australia in the past year, but the numbers will pale by comparison to what lies ahead due to high gas prices, according to major manufacturers.

The association representing Australian manufacturers believes more than 100,000 jobs will be lost unless the Federal Government intervenes to solve an increasing gas shortage that is pushing up prices for households and heavily job-laden industries.

The irony is that Australia is producing more gas than ever, and is on track to become the world's largest exporter of gas, with contracts to supply fuel-starved Asian markets prepared to pay triple the prices Australians do for energy."

The story continues.

It seems it would be in Australia's best interest to get the gas pumping from Cooper Basin into our national gas lines ASAP. Wouldn't it be a nice sweetener if Fed Gov dropped a lazy $1 Billion or so into Cooper Basin incentives and/or tax offsets or whatever floats their boat.