❓ A WA parliamentary question probes the Minister for Environment regarding the referral of the Gorgon and Wheatstone gas projects to the EPA concerning greenhouse gas offsets, seeking details on the reasons, EPA requests, briefings, and potential policy implications.
AnsweredQoN 4961Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to the decision by the Minister for Environment to refer both Gorgon and Wheatstone to the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) on matters related to Greenhouse Gas offsets, and ask: (a) Can the Minister confirm the reasons for referring both Gorgon and Wheatstone to the EPA; (b) Specifically, what was requested of the EPA in the referral/s; (c) Did the Minister receive briefings from the EPA in respect to progress of the matters refered: (i) If yes, can the Minister list the meeting dates, those who were present in the briefings and the nature of the matters discussed; (ii) If yes, did the Minister discuss progress of the referred matters with the Premier prior to the EPA report becoming public; and (iii) If yes, when did these discussions occur; (d) When was the Minister first aware that the likely outcomes of the EPA review would be a recommendation that new projects be forced to offset all emissions; (e) Can the Minister confirm that under the Act, the Minister, and by extension the Government, could simply have chosen not to accept the recommendations of the EPA; (f) What are the obligations of the Minister in respect to the recommendations of the EPA on this matter; (g) Would Woodside's proposed Browse and Scarborough developments also have been subject to the offsets recommended by the EPA; and (h) Can the Minister confirm the accuracy of media reports that emissions offsets previously imposed on Chevron's Wheatstone Project had in fact been lifted by the Barnett Government: (i) If so, when were these obligations lifted; and (ii) If so, what was the scale of these obligations?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
8 May 2019
Responded by
Parliamentary Secretary representing the Minister for Environment; Disability Services; Electoral Affairs
Response time
7 days
(a) – (b) In relation to the Gorgon Gas Development on 11 April 2018, I requested that the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) inquire into, and report under section 46(1) of the Environmental Protection Act 1986 (EP Act) on the implementation conditions for the Gorgon Gas Development, Revised and Expanded Proposal (Gorgon Gas Development). Specifically Condition 26 of Ministerial Statement 800, which relates to the reservoir carbon dioxide injection system.
I have sought the EPA’s advice on the implementation conditions and definitions within Schedule 2 of Ministerial Statement 800.
In relation to the Wheatstone Development on 2 January 2018, I requested that the EPA inquire into and report under section 46(1) on the matter of changing the implementation conditions relating to the emission of greenhouse gases in Ministerial Statement 873, as amended by Ministerial Statement 922, for the Chevron Australia Pty Ltd proposal Wheatstone Development – Gas Processing, Export Facilities and Infrastructure (Wheatstone Gas Development).
Following introduction of the national carbon price established by the Commonwealth Government's Clean Energy Act 2011, greenhouse gas abatement conditions for the Wheatstone Gas Development were removed on 11 January 2013 by the previous Government.
The Clean Energy Legislation (Carbon Tax Repeal) Act 2014 came into force in March 2016. In view of this repeal, the significant emissions from the Wheatstone Gas Development, and considering the original conditions that were set for this project, I sought the EPA’s advice on the adequacy of existing implementation conditions.
(c) Yes
(i) I have regular meetings with the EPA Chairman and I am provided with updates and advice on a range of matters. Meetings in which I was provided with a brief update on the status of the inquiries were held between the EPA Chairman and myself on 21 February 2018; 31 July 2018 and 13 November 2018
Present at the 21 February 2018 meetings were the EPA Chairman; Executive Director – EPA Services, Department of Water and Environmental Regulation; and Executive Director – Strategy and Guidance, Department of Water and Environmental Regulation. From my office in attendance were the Chief of Staff, Principal Policy Advisor and Senior Policy Advisor. At the meeting on the 21 February 2018 the EPA’s inquiry into the greenhouse gas conditions for the Wheatstone Gas Development and greenhouse gas emissions from the Gorgon Gas Development were discussed.
Present at the 31 July 2018 meetings were the EPA Chairman; Director General, Department of Water and Environmental Regulation; and Executive Director – EPA Services, Department of Water and Environmental Regulation. From my office in attendance were the Chief of Staff, Principal Policy Advisor, Senior Policy Advisor and Policy Advisor. At the meeting on 31 July 2018 the scope of the inquiry of the Gorgon Gas Development was discussed.
Present at the 13 November 2018 meeting were the EPA Chairman; Director General, Department of Water and Environmental Regulation; and Executive Director – EPA Services, Department of Water and Environmental Regulation. From my office in attendance were the Chief of Staff, Principal Policy Advisor, Senior Policy Advisor and Policy Advisor. At the meeting on 13 November 2018, I was provided with a brief update on the status of a number of inquiries that the EPA was conducting, including the Gorgon Gas Development and Wheatstone Gas Development inquires.
(ii) The EPA’s reports on the Gorgon Gas Development and the Wheatstone Gas Development related to greenhouse gas emissions have not been finalised and have yet to be released to the public.
(iii) Not Applicable
(d) The EPA’s review of the Gorgon Gas Development and the Wheatstone Gas Development are confined to the scope of the inquiries I initiated under section 46(1) of the EP Act.
(e-f) In accordance with the EP Act, and prior to making a determination on a proposal, I am required to:
I can confirm that under the EP Act, I receive recommendations from the EPA that deal with environmental matters only. In consultation with decision-making authorities, economic and social matters can be considered before a decision is made on whether or not to implement the EPA’s environmental recommendations.
(g) The EPA is currently assessing the components of the Browse and Scarborough Developments that are within State land and waters and subject to the EP Act. The assessments are currently in the environmental scoping stage and as a result the EPA has yet to recommend what, if any, offsets apply to these two proposals.
(h)(i) Refer to (b)
(ii) Under the implementation conditions that originally applied to the Wheatstone Development, Chevron were required to offset, at a minimum, the reservoir carbon dioxide released to the atmosphere from the Wheatstone Development. This was predicted to be 2,600,000 tonnes per annum carbon dioxide equivalents.
I have sought the EPA’s advice on the implementation conditions and definitions within Schedule 2 of Ministerial Statement 800.
In relation to the Wheatstone Development on 2 January 2018, I requested that the EPA inquire into and report under section 46(1) on the matter of changing the implementation conditions relating to the emission of greenhouse gases in Ministerial Statement 873, as amended by Ministerial Statement 922, for the Chevron Australia Pty Ltd proposal Wheatstone Development – Gas Processing, Export Facilities and Infrastructure (Wheatstone Gas Development).
Following introduction of the national carbon price established by the Commonwealth Government's Clean Energy Act 2011, greenhouse gas abatement conditions for the Wheatstone Gas Development were removed on 11 January 2013 by the previous Government.
The Clean Energy Legislation (Carbon Tax Repeal) Act 2014 came into force in March 2016. In view of this repeal, the significant emissions from the Wheatstone Gas Development, and considering the original conditions that were set for this project, I sought the EPA’s advice on the adequacy of existing implementation conditions.
(c) Yes
(i) I have regular meetings with the EPA Chairman and I am provided with updates and advice on a range of matters. Meetings in which I was provided with a brief update on the status of the inquiries were held between the EPA Chairman and myself on 21 February 2018; 31 July 2018 and 13 November 2018
Present at the 21 February 2018 meetings were the EPA Chairman; Executive Director – EPA Services, Department of Water and Environmental Regulation; and Executive Director – Strategy and Guidance, Department of Water and Environmental Regulation. From my office in attendance were the Chief of Staff, Principal Policy Advisor and Senior Policy Advisor. At the meeting on the 21 February 2018 the EPA’s inquiry into the greenhouse gas conditions for the Wheatstone Gas Development and greenhouse gas emissions from the Gorgon Gas Development were discussed.
Present at the 31 July 2018 meetings were the EPA Chairman; Director General, Department of Water and Environmental Regulation; and Executive Director – EPA Services, Department of Water and Environmental Regulation. From my office in attendance were the Chief of Staff, Principal Policy Advisor, Senior Policy Advisor and Policy Advisor. At the meeting on 31 July 2018 the scope of the inquiry of the Gorgon Gas Development was discussed.
Present at the 13 November 2018 meeting were the EPA Chairman; Director General, Department of Water and Environmental Regulation; and Executive Director – EPA Services, Department of Water and Environmental Regulation. From my office in attendance were the Chief of Staff, Principal Policy Advisor, Senior Policy Advisor and Policy Advisor. At the meeting on 13 November 2018, I was provided with a brief update on the status of a number of inquiries that the EPA was conducting, including the Gorgon Gas Development and Wheatstone Gas Development inquires.
(ii) The EPA’s reports on the Gorgon Gas Development and the Wheatstone Gas Development related to greenhouse gas emissions have not been finalised and have yet to be released to the public.
(iii) Not Applicable
(d) The EPA’s review of the Gorgon Gas Development and the Wheatstone Gas Development are confined to the scope of the inquiries I initiated under section 46(1) of the EP Act.
(e-f) In accordance with the EP Act, and prior to making a determination on a proposal, I am required to:
I can confirm that under the EP Act, I receive recommendations from the EPA that deal with environmental matters only. In consultation with decision-making authorities, economic and social matters can be considered before a decision is made on whether or not to implement the EPA’s environmental recommendations.
(g) The EPA is currently assessing the components of the Browse and Scarborough Developments that are within State land and waters and subject to the EP Act. The assessments are currently in the environmental scoping stage and as a result the EPA has yet to recommend what, if any, offsets apply to these two proposals.
(h)(i) Refer to (b)
(ii) Under the implementation conditions that originally applied to the Wheatstone Development, Chevron were required to offset, at a minimum, the reservoir carbon dioxide released to the atmosphere from the Wheatstone Development. This was predicted to be 2,600,000 tonnes per annum carbon dioxide equivalents.
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