Natural Resources Committee: Unconventional Gas (Fracking)

Adjourned debate on motion of Hon. J.S.L. Dawkins:

That the interim report of the committee, on its Inquiry into Unconventional Gas (Fracking), be noted.

(Continued from 18 November 2015.)

The Hon. G.A. KANDELAARS (21:04): I will be brief. The committee has continued to work diligently on its inquiry into unconventional gas (fracking) in the South-East. The committee has heard from numerous witnesses and conducted a number of regional visits to the South-East, taking evidence at Millicent and Robe, visiting Beach Energy's exploration sites around Penola, and also visiting the Ladbroke Grove natural gas processing plant, which is currently not in production.

We have also undertaken a two-day visit to the Bowen Basin in south-west Queensland, visiting Roma, Dalby and Chinchilla. I think that visit was invaluable in that it clearly indicated there is an ability for the mining industry to coexist with agriculture. Dalby was a very different type of environment to Roma, Roma being more a pastoral area and Dalby having quite intensive agriculture, with some of the biggest feedlots in Australia for beef.

The committee expects that the final report should be tabled in the first half of 2016. I should make a special mention of the committee secretariat—Patrick Dupont, the executive officer, and Barbara Coddington, the committee's research officer—who have worked extremely hard in making sure that things went smoothly with our inquiry to date. I will leave it at that.

Motion carried.