Senex Energy’s plans for gasfield expansions in Queensland should be rejected and the Albanese Government should look to strengthen and then implement the Domestic Gas Security trigger if it truly wants to reduce prices paid by Australian manufacturers for gas.
The Hancock Energy and POSCO owned company today said it wants to proceed with an expansion of its Atlas and Roma North gasfields, which would include gas for export, thereby worsening Australia’s domestic gas price crisis.
Lock the Gate Alliance Queensland spokesperson Ellie Smith said it was clearer than ever that more gas was not the answer to Australia’s energy crisis, and Senex’s plans would instead only keep manufacturers and residents locked in to volatile gas prices.
“The ACCC report released last week found that problems in the domestic gas market were caused by gas companies taking as much gas as they can get from Australia and funnelling it overseas along with cartel-like behaviour by gas producers,” she said.
“It doesn’t matter how much gas Australia produces, if we just keep sending more and more offshore then Australians will remain locked in to volatile gas prices at the mercy of gas giants.
“The only true solution is to crack down on predatory gas companies profiteering off our gas and to support manufacturers and residents to shift to renewables.
“There are already more than 8,600 producing CSG wells in Queensland right now, and an area larger than the size of Tasmania has been opened up for gas since the Palaszczuk Government was elected. Sacrificing more farmland to gas is not the answer.
“We’re calling on the Albanese Government to pull the domestic gas trigger and to directly cap domestic gas prices, and for the Queensland Palaszczuk Government to stop putting farmers at the mercy of the polluting CSG industry.
“In addition to an energy crisis, Australians are facing a food supply crisis. This is the worst possible moment to sacrifice more farms to polluting coal seam gas as Senex intends.”
ENDS