COAG Energy Council Gas Supply Strategy
Publication date: Friday, 04th December 2015.
The COAG Energy Council's objective is to maximise the benefit to the Australian community from the responsible development of gas resources.
In keeping with the Council's Gas Market Vision released in December 2014, the Council has agreed that its resources should be better utilised to meet community expectations in delivering this objective.
The Gas Supply Strategy is the Council's commitment to improving collaborative efforts between jurisdictions on scientific and regulatory issues associated with onshore gas.
On 19 August 2016, the Council released its Gas Supply Strategy Implementation Plan for Collaborative Actions. The implementation plan was informed by a stakeholder consultation process and provides detail on how jurisdictions will work together over the next 18 months. The Gas Supply Strategy Implementation Plan for Collaborative Actions complements the Council’s Gas Market Reform Package also released on 19 August 2016 to address recommendations contained in the ACCC’s Inquiry into the East Coast Gas Market and the AEMC’s Eastern Australian Wholesale Gas Market and Pipelines Framework Review: Stage 2 final report.
Individual jurisdictions will determine their level of participation and how they will use the outcomes of the strategy. However, Council members will continue to share information and experiences, regardless of individual Government policy positions.
On 14 December 2016, Council acknowledged early progress in implementing the Gas Supply Strategy and agreed to release the first implementation progress report. The first report shows activity during the period 19 August 2016 to 31 October 2016.
On 14 July 2017, Council acknowledged further progress in implementing the Council’s Gas Supply Strategy during the period 1 November 2016 to 31 May 2017, noting each jurisdiction’s unique circumstances. Ministers agreed that the Working Groups would consult on new collaborative actions to be considered at Council’s next meeting.
On 25 August 2017, Council agreed to amendments to the Gas Supply Strategy and Gas Supply Strategy Implementation Plan for Collaborative Actions to:
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include onshore conventional gas more explicitly, offshore gas, and underground gas storage;
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include references to the western and northern gas markets;
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in response to the 2017-18 Federal Budget, communicate information for landholders and communities about the onshore gas industry, including information to assist landholders in negotiating access to land for gas developments; and
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include other generic and factual updates.
Council also agreed to officials commencing a review of the Gas Supply Strategy Implementation Plan for Collaborative Actions in January 2018, to assess the effectiveness of the implementation plan and actions to date and consider any required amendments for a new plan going forward.
On 24 November 2017, Council agreed to release the third GSS implementation progress report which provides information about activity in the period 1 June 2017 to 31 October 2017. To date, four of the original 14 collaborative actions have been completed.
On 27 June 2018, answers to a set of frequently asked questions about onshore gas development in Australia were released. The FAQs document was developed by the Upstream Petroleum Resources (UPR) Working Group under GSS Collaborative Action 7.
On 10 August 2018, Council agreed to extend GSS implementation until the end of 2020 and asked officials to prepare an extended GSS Implementation Plan for Ministers’ consideration by the end of 2018. Further information about the agreed future focus and priorities in the next phase of implementation is available in the:
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Review of the COAG Energy Council’s Gas Supply Strategy Implementation Plan for Collaborative Actions - Steering Committee report to COAG Energy Council
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GSS Implementation Plan Evaluation Statement.
Council also noted progress in implementing the GSS during the period 1 November 2017 to 30 June 2018 and agreed to release the fourth progress report.
On 18 December 2018, Resources Ministers agreed to and released an extended GSS Implementation Plan, which outlines how six key priorities will be implemented in the period to 31 December 2020.
If you are interested in more information or being involved in future implementation efforts, please send an email to upr.secretariat@industry.gov.au.
