The Australian Petroleum Production & Exploration Association said the introduction of new resource management regulations in Western Australia should enhance community confidence in local oil and gas activities.
The new safeguards follow an independent review of WA’s regulatory framework for petroleum and geothermal activities and reflect world-best practice for risk management, APPEA said in its comment.
The objective-based framework adopted in WA is recognised internationally as the best way of encouraging innovation and operational excellence while delivering high standards of environmental protection.
The adoption of the new state-based resource management regulations from July 1 is the latest in a series of regulatory reforms that will oversee the development of WA’s emerging shale and tight gas industry.
This includes new assessment guidelines for hydraulic fracturing released by the Environmental Protection Authority last December.
These changes, combined with the oil and gas industry’s commitment to high standards of safety and environmental protection, should give the public confidence that shale and tight gas projects can be developed safely and sustainably.
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Image: APPEA