South Australian government considers fracking despite opposition
The South Australian state government has said it is considering using fracking to extract shale gas reserves in the Cooper Basin. The announcement coincides with the federal Liberal Party's energy programme. Environmental groups and Indigenous communities have formed a coalition against the plans.
South Australian Minister for Mining and Energy Susan Close told ABC News Australia the state is considering hydraulic fracturing (fracking) to extract an estimated 7.3 trillion cubic feet of shale gas in the Cooper Basin. The state government says that if full production capacity is reached, the resource could contribute to Australia's domestic gas supply for ten years.
Federal Liberal Party energy spokesperson Ted O'Brien said the plan should be assessed as 'a structural response to Australia's gas supply crisis'. Federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek pointed out that the state would need to undergo an assessment under the federal Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act. The Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association supports the project.
Representatives of the Environmental Defenders Office (EDO) and the Adnyamathanha Traditional Lands Association, which formed a protocol coalition, warned of the risk of damage to water-dependent ecosystems and possible impact on cultural heritage sites in the area. Australian Greens leader Adam Bandt called the project 'incompatible with climate targets'. The state government's first environmental impact assessment is planned for release in July.
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