Dominic Perrottet to BAN offshore gas, coal mining if he wins the NSW state election
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Dom Perrottet’s government promises to permanently ban offshore coal, gas and oil drilling along the New South Wales coast if it wins the next state election.
The laws promise to permanently block offshore gas drilling along the New South Wales coast is being hailed as a victory for the environment.
Greenpeace is calling on state and territory governments across the country to follow the lead of the New South Wales government, after it announced the move on Wednesday.
It comes after the Federal Court overturned former Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s decision to block an extension to the PEP-11 permit, reopening the door to potential gas drilling in a large stretch of New South Wales water.
The PEP-11 permit covers an oil well along the New South Wales coast between Wollongong and Newcastle, covering some 8,200 square kilometres.
The NSW government will move to ban offshore coal, gas, mineral and oil mining if re-elected in March (NSW Treasurer Matt Kean pictured)
The court ruling returns the power to decide whether to drill the area to the federal and New South Wales governments, and to the PEP-11 permit holder, Asset Energy.
The run-up to the court’s decision sparked a wave of opposition across the political spectrum in New South Wales, with Labour, Greens and Independent MPs voicing their opposition to the permit.
Energy Minister Matt Kean said the Liberal-National coalition was very concerned about the environmental impact of the project and had consistently opposed it.
“This is why we are legislating our longstanding policy on offshore gas extraction in New South Wales waters,” Kean told reporters in Mona Vale on Sydney’s northern beaches on Wednesday.
The plan includes signing into law the existing policy that prevents the extraction of coal, gas, minerals and oil off the coast, and pressing the Albanian government to adopt similar legislation.
Greenpeace campaigner Richard George says the proposed laws are a victory for marine life as Australia’s oceans face a turning point.
“Offshore gas extraction is catastrophic for our oceans,” George said.
“The gas extraction process involves drilling into the seabed, seismic blasting that can injure whales, and laying hundreds of kilometers of underwater pipelines, severely disrupting fragile marine environments.”
It comes after the Federal Court removed the block on a PEP-11 leave extension, sparking a wave of opposition across the political spectrum in New South Wales, with Labour, Greens and Independent MPs expressing their opposition (pictured, protesters from Surfrider Foundation Australia protest against Pep-11 permit)
The government’s plan is contingent on the Liberal-National coalition winning a fourth term on March 25.
“NSW Liberals and Nationals will always stand up for the environment and our communities who care deeply about our untouched coastline,” Mr Kean said.
“Today we call on the Albanian government to back our plan and also ban offshore gas drilling in Commonwealth waters.
They are the ones who have reopened this matter.
Kean’s calls were backed by the state’s environment minister, Manly MP James Griffin.
‘The following steps are simple; the Albanian government must step up and ban offshore drilling and mining in Commonwealth waters,” he said.