Action item 14.35
Progress
Complete.
Approved by decision makers.
Recommendation implemented.
That prior to the granting of any further production approvals, the Government considers establishing a one-stop-shop single, separate and independent shale gas regulator to regulate all aspects of any onshore shale gas industry in the NT (with the exception of the grant of exploration permits and the grant of water approvals).
Completed
Action item update
Implementation
The Northern Territory Government has approved a regulatory model where the Minister for Environment is responsible for environmental approvals for the industry, the Minister for Primary Industry and Resources retains regulatory responsibility for industry-specific operational aspects of the industry, and no change in responsibilities for oversight of general industry activities such as work, health and safety, road transport, etc.
The granting of water approvals has been addressed through changes to the Water Act 1992 as per Recommendation 7.1.
The NT Government has considered the current need for a separate onshore petroleum industry regulator and has determined such a regulator is not required at present given the size and status of the onshore petroleum industry in the Northern Territory. The regulatory model enables a number of the risks identified by the Inquiry in relation to this recommendation to be addressed and introducing a new independent regulator would prematurely displace these arrangements before the likely scale of the onshore petroleum industry and need for an independent regulator is known.
The NT Government will review the regulatory framework within 3 years and will consider whether the current regulatory arrangements continue to be adequate to ensure independence, accountability and capacity of regulators for the onshore petroleum industry.