❓ Dr. Honey questions the Premier about potential gas supply risks due to regulatory delays. The Premier acknowledges the importance of gas in the energy transition and outlines the government's support for the industry while ensuring environmental regulations and affordable supply for Western Australians.
AnsweredQoN 840Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
GAS
— SUPPLY
840. Dr D.J. HONEY to the Premier:
I refer to media reports on comments from Meg O'Neill,
CEO of Woodside Energy, and the testimony provided to the Economics and Industry Standing Committee meeting yesterday by Ms
Kate Ryan, executive general manager of
the Australian Energy Market Operator, that regulatory and other delays in gas
projects could threaten gas supplies in Western Australia. Given that
gas supply will be critical to energy security for the foreseeable future,
especially domestic electricity supplies as coal is withdrawn from our energy
mix —
(1) Is the Premier aware of the risks to our future gas
supplies, mentioned by Ms O'Neill and Ms Ryan?
(2) What
action is the Premier taking to ensure that regulatory delays and other
development delays do not impact future energy security in our state?
— SUPPLY
840. Dr D.J. HONEY to the Premier:
I refer to media reports on comments from Meg O'Neill,
CEO of Woodside Energy, and the testimony provided to the Economics and Industry Standing Committee meeting yesterday by Ms
Kate Ryan, executive general manager of
the Australian Energy Market Operator, that regulatory and other delays in gas
projects could threaten gas supplies in Western Australia. Given that
gas supply will be critical to energy security for the foreseeable future,
especially domestic electricity supplies as coal is withdrawn from our energy
mix —
(1) Is the Premier aware of the risks to our future gas
supplies, mentioned by Ms O'Neill and Ms Ryan?
(2) What
action is the Premier taking to ensure that regulatory delays and other
development delays do not impact future energy security in our state?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2)
I thank the member for the question. As the member is aware, we have a very
strong conviction in my government that gas will continue to play an important
role as part of our transition to renewable energy. It is an affirming role as
part of our overall network as we seek to decarbonise. In addition to that, we
see domestic gas continuing to play an important role in the diversification of
our industry as we look to use it as a feedstock input to industrial
manufacturing processes. It will continue to play an important role in our lives. We support companies like Woodside,
which are not only looking to bring gas to the market and commit to the domestic market, but also looking to
offset the carbon dioxide emissions and other emissions associated with their production through the use
of carbon capture and storage and other mitigation methods . Our domestic
gas policies are obviously an important part of our overall strategy to make
sure that Western Australians ultimately are the beneficiaries of a resource
that belongs to them. That is the reason a WA Labor government was initially
responsible for the implementation of a domestic gas reservation policy under former Premier Hon Alan Carpenter.
There was a further tightening of that policy under former Premier Hon
Mark McGowan. It is WA Labor that secures the resources for Western Australians.
The impact of that is that Western Australians have a more affordable and a more
resilient gas supply. We can continue to look to the opportunities of
prosperity that come from using that gas supply not only for power generation
for firming our renewable electricity grid, but also around industrial
processes.
We will continue to make sure that
we continue to support the industry as it looks to future reservations and the opportunities to bring those to
production. We work with them very closely and I have a very close working relationship with Meg O'Neill in relation to the conduct of her
company. We will continue to support them as part of that process.
At
the end of the day, these companies need to be held to stringent environmental
regulation at both the state level and the national level. We want to
make sure that regulation does not of itself represent a constraint to the Western
Australian economy or a risk to Western Australian consumers. We will continue
to make sure we work with them in that vein so that does not take place.
I thank the member for the question. As the member is aware, we have a very
strong conviction in my government that gas will continue to play an important
role as part of our transition to renewable energy. It is an affirming role as
part of our overall network as we seek to decarbonise. In addition to that, we
see domestic gas continuing to play an important role in the diversification of
our industry as we look to use it as a feedstock input to industrial
manufacturing processes. It will continue to play an important role in our lives. We support companies like Woodside,
which are not only looking to bring gas to the market and commit to the domestic market, but also looking to
offset the carbon dioxide emissions and other emissions associated with their production through the use
of carbon capture and storage and other mitigation methods . Our domestic
gas policies are obviously an important part of our overall strategy to make
sure that Western Australians ultimately are the beneficiaries of a resource
that belongs to them. That is the reason a WA Labor government was initially
responsible for the implementation of a domestic gas reservation policy under former Premier Hon Alan Carpenter.
There was a further tightening of that policy under former Premier Hon
Mark McGowan. It is WA Labor that secures the resources for Western Australians.
The impact of that is that Western Australians have a more affordable and a more
resilient gas supply. We can continue to look to the opportunities of
prosperity that come from using that gas supply not only for power generation
for firming our renewable electricity grid, but also around industrial
processes.
We will continue to make sure that
we continue to support the industry as it looks to future reservations and the opportunities to bring those to
production. We work with them very closely and I have a very close working relationship with Meg O'Neill in relation to the conduct of her
company. We will continue to support them as part of that process.
At
the end of the day, these companies need to be held to stringent environmental
regulation at both the state level and the national level. We want to
make sure that regulation does not of itself represent a constraint to the Western
Australian economy or a risk to Western Australian consumers. We will continue
to make sure we work with them in that vein so that does not take place.
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