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    New South Wales Announces New Regulations for CSG Industry

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Summary

The government of the Australian state of New South Wales has announced new set of regulation for the coal seam gas industry.

by: Shardul

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Asia/Oceania

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New South Wales Announces New Regulations for CSG Industry

The government of the Australian state of New South Wales has announced new set of regulation for the coal seam gas industry.

According to the government, the reforms see safeguards in place for approximately 5.3 million hectares of the state’s homes and high quality farmland.

“Today marks a significant milestone in this Government’s commitment to balance the energy needs of the State and the need to support our vital agricultural industry,” Deputy Premier Andrew Stoner said Tuesday in a statement.

Coal seam gas exclusion zones are now in force for an estimated 95 per cent of dwellings covered by current petroleum licences and tough regulations are also now in place for NSW’s most valuable agricultural land, Stoner said.

The government said that these reforms get the balance right by:

  • Applying coal seam gas exclusion zones across the State to cover Critical Industry Clusters, residential zones, an additional seven rural villages and future growth areas in 55 council areas. CSG exclusion zones now apply to 2.7 million hectares in NSW. Some land that is in a CSG exclusion zone will also be subject to the Gateway process for other state significant mining activities.
  • Safeguarding approximately 2.8 million hectares of the State’s most valuable farming land by ensuring that the impacts on land and water or resource proposals are considered up front through the independent scientific Gateway process. These safeguards, introduced by the NSW Government, initially applied in the Upper Hunter and New England North West regions (October 2013) and have now been extended statewide.
  • Implementing Critical Industry Clusters for 60,000 hectares of viticulture land and 254,000 hectares of equine land in the Upper Hunter. (As some land overlaps in the clusters, the total area safeguarded is 288,000 hectares). No new CSG activity is allowed in any Critical Industry Cluster. Mining proposals in Critical Industry Clusters must go through the independent assessment of the Gateway process.

Minister for Planning and Infrastructure Brad Hazzard said the NSW Government implemented the first stage of reforms in October last year, including:

  • Establishing CSG exclusion zones with a two kilometre buffer across existing residential zones and the North West and South West Growth Centres of Sydney, where new CSG activity is prohibited;
  • Safeguarding approximately 1.74 million hectares of strategic agricultural land in the Upper Hunter and New England North West regions through the Gateway process; and
  • Appointing the Gateway Panel to provide an independent, scientific assessment of major resources projects on strategic agricultural land.

Hazzard said the final reforms announced Tuesday were publically exhibited in October and November last year.

Minister for Resources and Energy Anthony Roberts said the reforms would ensure agriculture, sustainable resource development and communities could co-exist.

“These comprehensive reforms provide clarity, consistency and confidence for the community and a variety of industries across NSW,” Roberts said.

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