The vast majority of Western Australians (85%) are in lockstep with today’s Domgas Alliance submission to the Parliament Inquiry on Domestic Gas, which argues that the WA Government should act to enforce its policy to reserve 100% of onshore gas and 15% of offshore gas for domestic use.
The notion that oil and gas companies would rather supply big international markets than take care of WA gas consumers was convincing to 75% of those surveyed by the Domgas Alliance.
Just 16% believed that allowing more gas to be exported overseas would incentivise more gas being produced for WA. This is in stark contrast to a proposal to allow gas exports from the Perth basin currently under consideration by the WA Government.
Results from a 750-person survey by Utting Research, show that Western Australians strongly support the initial findings of the Inquiry and the key points made by the Domgas Alliance in its latest submission.
On the potential watering down of the policy, such as allowing onshore gas exports from the Perth basin, Western Australians have major concerns for the state:
65% believe that it would negatively impact household gas bills
62% believe it would negatively impact gas dependent businesses in Western Australia.
56% believe that it would be bad for the Western Australian economy. Given the option,
87% believed the Government should maintain the gas reservation policy as it is (100% onshore and 15% offshore), while just 13% believed watering it down (e.g. to allow Perth basin exports) would lead to more gas being discovered and lower prices
In its submissions, the Domgas Alliance has urged the State Government to continue prohibiting onshore gas exports and enforce the intent of the reservation policy by closing loopholes for LNG producers to ensure Western Australians continue to have a secure and affordable domestic gas supply.
DomGas Alliance spokesperson Richard Harris said: “Eight times as much economic activity comes from gas sent to the WA market instead of exported, so at a time of forecast shortage the Government should be permanently ruling out more exports, not the opposite.
A secure and affordable gas supply is critical to Western Australia’s industrial manufacturing and downstream processing sectors, which in turn underpins more than 400,000 Western Australian jobs and $370 billion worth of infrastructure investment.” “Allowing exports from the Perth basin, as the Government is now considering, would be repeating the mistakes of the east coast, mistakes which our current policy has shielded Western Australians from.”
Mr Harris said: “Any change in policy that allows for the export of onshore gas production will threaten the viability of the State’s existing industrial base, while also directly impacting future economic growth in the State and its ability to further diversify the Western Australian economy.”
“A secure gas supply is also critical to the transition away from coal on the path to net zero emissions.”
“If we are closing our coal-fired plants in six years’ time, as planned, then we can’t afford to let our onshore gas be exported. More gas will be needed in the short term to provide support for renewables entering the grid.”
