Member for Barker Tony Pasin has welcomed a range of new measures to help secure gas supplies, put downward pressure on prices and encourage new investment.
Mr Pasin said the Morrison Government has announced new measures to protect Australian industry and jobs.
“I have been for a long time an outspoken advocate for establishing a national gas reservation scheme so that future gas export proposals will also provide sufficient gas into the domestic market,” Mr Pasin said.
“The announcement this week that we will examine whether a reservation scheme could succeed and be applied at the national level, is very welcome news,” Mr Pasin said.
“In the past, approvals of large gas export projects have not adequately considered the impact on the domestic gas market and that has contributed to some of the price and supply pressures we have seen in recent years. We cannot afford to continue to approve the export of gas if our domestic market needs it. The equation is simple, more gas supply will drive down gas prices,” Mr Pasin said.
Other measures announced this week include:
- Bringing forward the scheduled review of the Australian Domestic Gas Security Mechanism (ADGSM) to this year. (A review was scheduled for next year but given major changes in global gas markets over the past 6 months, the government has decided to bring this review forward)
- A comprehensive review of pipeline regulation to improve transparency, increasing competition and making it easier and cheaper to transport gas around the gas market
- Extending the ACCC’s role in monitoring and publishing data on the gas market in Australia until December 2025
“We want to ensure we have a functional domestic gas market with the lowest possible prices for consumers. It’s about lowering the household bills, protecting our industries and creating jobs,” Mr Pasin said.
Media Contact: Charlotte Edmunds 8531 2466
