❓ Mr. Zempilas questions the WA government about the outdated regulatory framework for shale and tight gas, specifically inquiring about updates since 2015 and the absence of a relevant report on the government's publication webpage. The Minister's response indicates the framework was superseded by a 2017 inquiry and clarifies the website update date.
AnsweredQoN 2252Legislative Assembly
Asked
5 May 2026
Member
Portfolio
Mines and Petroleum; Finance; Electoral Affairs; Goldfields-Esperance
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to the Regulatory Framework for Shale and Tight Gas in Western Australia and the Department's guide to that framework and I ask:(a) Has this framework been updated since 2015;(b) If yes to (a), when will they be released publicly;(c) If no to (a) when are they expected to be updated and published;(d) Why does the Government's publication webpage that was updated on 24 March 2025 lack the relevant report examining 'the existing regulatory framework for the extraction of onshore Shale Gas Resources (SGR) in Western Australia', link here: the https://www.wa.gov.au/government/publications/regulation-of-shale-coal-seam-and-tight-gas-activities-western-australia; and(e) Will the Minister provide this report publicly?
I refer to the Regulatory Framework for Shale and Tight Gas in Western Australia and the Department's guide to that framework and I ask:
(a) Has this framework been updated since 2015;
(b) If yes to (a), when will they be released publicly;
(c) If no to (a) when are they expected to be updated and published;
(d) Why does the Government's publication webpage that was updated on 24 March 2025 lack the relevant report examining 'the existing regulatory framework for the extraction of onshore Shale Gas Resources (SGR) in Western Australia', link here: the https://www.wa.gov.au/government/publications/regulation-of-shale-coal-seam-and-tight-gas-activities-western-australia; and
(e) Will the Minister provide this report publicly?
I refer to the Regulatory Framework for Shale and Tight Gas in Western Australia and the Department's guide to that framework and I ask:
(a) Has this framework been updated since 2015;
(b) If yes to (a), when will they be released publicly;
(c) If no to (a) when are they expected to be updated and published;
(d) Why does the Government's publication webpage that was updated on 24 March 2025 lack the relevant report examining 'the existing regulatory framework for the extraction of onshore Shale Gas Resources (SGR) in Western Australia', link here: the https://www.wa.gov.au/government/publications/regulation-of-shale-coal-seam-and-tight-gas-activities-western-australia; and
(e) Will the Minister provide this report publicly?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
9 June 2026
Responded by
Minister for Mines and Petroleum; Finance; Electoral Affairs; Goldfields-Esperance
Response time
9 days
(a)-(e) The document the member refers to has been superseded by 2017 Independent Scientific Panel Inquiry into Hydraulic Fracture Stimulation in Western Australia. The reference to 24 March 2025 relates to the date when the Department of Mines, Petroleum and Exploration’s website migrated to wa.gov.au and not the date of the report.
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