Home›Questions on Notice›QoN 639

❓ A WA parliamentary question probes the Independent Scientific Panel Inquiry into Hydraulic Fracture Stimulation, focusing on its scope, consultations with government agencies and industry, information sources, and planned publications. The answer details meetings held, information shared, and clarifies the panel's focus on the inquiry's subject matter in its final report.

AnsweredQoN 639Legislative Council

Asked

13 March 2018

Member

Hon Robin Chapple

Portfolio

Environment

QuestionView source ↗

Noting the establishment by the Minister of the Independent Scientific Panel Inquiry into Hydraulic Fracture Stimulation in Western Australia Panel and the publication of its terms of reference and three background papers, I ask: (a) do the Panel’s terms of reference allow it to recommend to or advise Government that it has found there is no reliable or affordable regulatory regime that could adequately address the impacts and risks of onshore unconventional gas production (OUGP) in Western Australia; (b) if yes to (a), where in the terms of reference as set out in the Panel’s background papers is this option presented; (c) if no to (a), why not; (d) has the Panel held any meetings with officers from the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety (DMIRS); (e) if yes to (d): (i) how many meetings have been held; (ii) with whom has it met; and (iii) what were the topics covered; (f) has the Panel met with any officers from any of the other government agencies that play a role in assessing, approving or regulating fracking in Western Australia, e.g. the departments of Water and Environmental Regulation, Aboriginal Heritage, Health, Biodiversity Conservation and Attractions, or other; (g) if yes to (f): (i) which agencies and officers have been met with; (ii) how many meetings have been held with each; and (iii) what topics were covered; (h) has the Panel met with any representatives of the OUGP industry including Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association or individual companies; (i) if yes to (h): (i) with whom were the meetings held; and (ii) what topics were covered; (j) in preparing the three background papers published to date, did the Panel draw on any advice or information from the DMIRS; (k) if yes to (j), what information was provided and how was that information incorporated; (l) in preparing the background papers did the Panel draw on information provided by any other agencies (other than DMIRS) or non-government groups; (m) if yes to (l), which other agencies or groups provided information and how was the information incorporated; and (n) does the Panel intend to publish background papers that provide important information about the OUGP industry from sources other than DMIRS on issues such as: (i) the drinking water supply and quality issues that arise from the proximity of proposed or potential OUGP activities to public drinking water supply assets and resources throughout Western Australia; (ii) the already well-documented global peer-reviewed literature on the public health impacts and risks of the OUGP industry; (iii) the inadequacy of current state legislation to deal with an OUGP industry across Western Australia, including the Rights in Water and Irrigation Act 1914 and pollution and contamination laws; (iv) the many problems that the fledgling OUGP industry has already encountered at its operations across Western Australia, such as gas leaks, well drilling incidents and failures, leaks from containment ponds, destructive operations within national parks and nature reserves, operations in close proximity to priority public drinking water sources, etc; (v) the many problems and failures that have already been encountered across Government and the community in trying to access information and monitor and regulate the fledgling OUGP industry in Western Australia; and (vi) the level and nature of community opposition that the OUGP industry has encountered across Western Australia and the grounds for that opposition, as explained by the affected communities?

AnswerView source ↗

Answered

11 April 2018

Responded by

Minister for Environment

Response time

10 days

e
(i)   Four
(ii) Director - Petroleum Operations; Principal Policy Officer - Policy and Coordination Branch; and Acting General Manager - Resources Branch.
(iii) Scope of Inquiry; history of hydraulic fracture stimulation in Western Australia; the gas resource; scale of potential industry; inquiry budgets; commissioned material; public reaction to terms of reference; understanding section 25 of the Environmental Protection Act 1986 ; background paper; risk assessment of impacts; key milestones and timelines; consultation strategy; call for submissions; public transparency; community consultation; regulatory framework; resource description and hydrogeology; introduction to fracking paper; media articles; and risk assessment champions.
(f) Yes
(g)
(i) Department of Water and Environmental Regulation – Executive Director – EPA Services; Manager – Mining and Industrial Assessments South Branch – EPA Services; Principal Environmental Officer – Mining and Industrial Assessments South Branch – EPA Services; Legal Officer – EPA Services; Senior Legal Officer – EPA Services and Executive Officer to Dr Tom Hatton - EPA Services. The Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation – Executive Director Strategic Projects.
(ii) Four meetings with the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation. One meeting with the Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation.
(iii) Scope of inquiry; history of hydraulic fracture stimulation in Western Australia; the gas resource; scale of potential industry; inquiry budgets; commissioned material; public reaction to terms of reference; understanding section 25 of the Environmental Protection Act 1986 ; background paper; risk assessment of impacts; key milestones and timelines; consultation strategy; call for submissions; public transparency; community consultation; regulatory framework; resource description and hydrogeology; introduction to fracking paper; media articles; and risk assessment champions.
(h) Yes
(i)   Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association. Industry people also attended the various public meetings.
(ii) Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association presented the industry perspective on hydraulic fracture stimulation.
(j)   Yes
(k) The Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety provided some of the information on the basics of hydraulic fracture stimulation, the history of hydraulic fracture stimulation, resource description, introduction to hydraulic fracture stimulation and the regulatory framework. The information provided was reviewed by the Panel and used in part when writing the background papers.
(l)   Yes. The Panel drew on information provided by the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation as well as the broader scientific and technical literature.
(m) The Department of Water and Environmental Regulation provided information on the regulatory framework and provided support to the Panel regarding water resources.
(n) No. These issues represent the subject matter of the inquiry rather than background information. The assessment of these types of matters will be provided in the final report to Government.

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