state's fracking go-ahead to stand

State's fracking go-ahead to stand

ANDREW BURRELL
The Australian
January 30, 2014 12:00AM



THE West Australian government has rejected calls by the Australian Conservation Foundation for a Victorian-style moratorium on hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, in the Kimberley region, which holds some of the biggest reserves of unconventional gas in the world.

The ACF, a moderate green group, yesterday called for the ban as it urged WA Environment Minister Albert Jacob to direct the state's environment watchdog to examine a proposal by listed explorer Buru Energy to begin fracking a series of wells in the Kimberley within months.

This comes after The Australian reported this week that the Environmental Protection Authority had declined to do a formal environmental assessment on Buru's controversial drilling plans, sparking anger from green groups that claim the activity will contaminate groundwater.

The ACF has appealed against the EPA decision, claiming the decision contains "major flaws" given the potentially transformative nature of proposed gasfield developments in the Kimberley.

But Mr Jacob said the government had no plans to follow Victoria in implementing a ban on fracking, the process by which high-pressure water, sand and chemicals are injected into rocks deep underground to extract oil and gas.

Victorian Premier Denis Napthine has ordered a ban on fracking until at least next year in response to community concerns about potential environmental impacts.

The oil and gas industry insists fracking is safe and says there is no evidence that it has contaminated groundwater reserves in other parts of Australia or overseas.

Mr Jacob said yesterday: "The Liberal National government is committed to ensuring that any development of unconventional gas in Western Australia is done in an environmentally acceptable manner.

"The regulation of exploration drilling for unconventional gas is the responsibility of the Department of Mines and Petroleum and any proposal for unconventional gas that is likely to have a significant effect on the environment is subject to the requirements of the Environmental Protection Act."

Mr Jacob said he would not comment on Buru's proposal as the EPA's decision was subject to a 14-day appeals period.

In a letter to Mr Jacob, the ACF called for a ban on all onshore gas extraction in WA until a cumulative assessment had been conducted and studies proved there was no threat to the state's groundwater supplies.

Buru is the biggest of the listed companies working in the onshore Canning Basin, which has been identified as the most prospective region for unconventional gas in the world outside the US, with about 229 trillion cubic feet of gas.

Traditional landowners oppose fracking until scientific evidence proves it is safe, while green groups -- fresh from fighting Woodside's plan to build a gas plant at James Price Point -- are also campaigning against it.

In a submission to a parliamentary inquiry last year, the WA government-owned Water Corp called for fracking to be banned from public drinking-water areas. The WA Department of Health said it had conducted a study that found fracking had the potential to contaminate groundwater.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/mining-energy/states-fracking-go-ahead-to-stand/story-e6frg9df-1226813364126#