The fossil fuel lobby is running a concerted campaign to exploit this global health crisis to further their agenda.

The demands for support from the fossil fuel lobby range from company tax cuts, to slashing Howard-Government era environmental legislation, support for import gas terminals and exploration projects, and cuts to mine workers’ pay and conditions. 

Use the filter to see the different demands, who’s asking for them and their status.

Showing 78 demands
✂️
Australian Petroleum Production & Exploration Association (APPEA)

After the Queensland election, APPEA again pushed their “key reform priorities” of promoting the development of Queensland’s oil and gas resources and reducing regulatory burdens.

view source

Government has made no comment

✂️ 💸
Minerals Council of Australia

In the lead up to the October 6 budget the mining lobby has made a pre-budget submission asking for expanded funding for exploration, reducing company tax, allowing Carbon Capture and Storage to be funded by the Clean Energy Finance Corporation and cutting of environmental regulation.

View source

Government has made no comment

💸
Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association (APPEA)

In the lead up to the October 6 budget, the oil and gas lobby has included in their pre-budget submission major tax cuts (they don’t pay that much tax to begin with), and handouts for junior companies.

View source

Government has Agreed

In April last year, the Morrison government said it was committed to ensuring the PRRT “better reflects Australia’s petroleum ­industry”, with Treasury commissioned to lead a review of gas transfer pricing arrangements. Source

💸
Queensland Resources Council

Following the release of QRC’s Resource Industry Recovery Agenda, the Queensland Government announced a $5 million feasibility study for a Bowen Basin gas pipeline. Blue Energy also demanded this pipeline on 1 May 2020.

View source

Government has Enacted

The government has announced this spending. Source

✂️
Mark McGowan, WA Premier

Special exemption from the recently announced tightening of the state’s domestic gas reservation policy for Beach Energy’s Waitsia operation, which is part owned by Kerry Stokes, owner of Channel 7. This means that Beach Energy can export their gas, while other companies must sell it to domestic, west coast users.

View source

Government has Enacted

The government announced this, supposedly without telling Beach Energy. Source

✂️ 💸
Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association (APPEA)

APPEA is in frequent conversation with the government about decommissioning of unused oil wells, essentially demanding that taxpayers foot the bill instead of companies.

View source

Government has made no comment

Perdaman

Perdaman is calling for the approval of the Narrabri Gas project that they want to supply gas to their proposed ammonium nitrate plant

View source

Government has Agreed

Angus Taylor is supportive of the project Source

✂️ 💸
Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association (APPEA)

APPEA will brief the Federal Government on their “Blueprint for Reform” that demands: accessing government loan guarantees to gain added security for juniors to access debt financing, promoting short-term licence permits, expanding a mining exploration tax credit incentive to the petroleum industry and cutting environmental protection laws.

View source

Government has made no comment

💸
Queensland Resources Council (QRC)

The Queensland Resources Council are advocating for streamlined assessment and approval processes for resource projects, a 10 year royalty freeze and an industry development plan with a commitment to work with the sector on its long-term growth.

View source

Government has made no comment

NSW Minerals Council

The Minerals Council released a report demanding the fast track approval of 32 resource projects in NSW.

View source

Government has Agreed

In April the NSW government announced measures to fast-track projects through the planning system and has already fast-tracked a Glencore mine expansion during Covid. Source

💸
Keith Pitt and the Australian Government

The publicly-funded loan fund, the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility was due to be wound up in June next year has had its life extended for another 5 years, flagging gas projects as likely recipients of future loans.

View source

Government has Agreed

The Government is the proponent. Source

✂️
Queensland Resources Council (QRC)

The QRC have been consistently advocating for the wind back of environmental protection laws in the EPBC, including appearing before the Natural Resources, Agricultural Industry Development and Environment Committee to make their case.

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Government has Agreed

The Environment Minister has agreed to wind back environmental laws. Source

Keith Pitt, Minister for Resources

Minister Pitt was in Gladstone this week talking about new gas projects for manufacturing as an economic solution to the Covid crisis.

View source

Government has Agreed

The government made these suggestions.

✂️
Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association (APPEA)

The oil and gas lobby are advocating for the wind back of environmental protection laws under the EPBC Act ahead of the upcoming review.

View source

Government has Enacted

The Prime Minister and National Cabinat have agreed to a single touch approval system on 24 July Source

Queensland Resources Council (QRC)

Following statements from two federal Labor MPs, the QRC has demanded the fast tracked approval of the New Acland coal mine by the Queensland state government.

View source

Government has made no comment

Queensland Government is awaiting the results of a High Court challenge from the local community before making a decision about the mine. Source

Joel Fitzgibbon & Shayne Neumann (ALP)

Federal Labor MPs broke ranks with their Queensland counterparts by publicy demanding the fast track of the New Acland coal mine before the high court makes its final ruling in a case led by the local community.

View source

Government has made no comment

The Queensland government is awaiting the outcome of the high court case before making a decision about the mine.

Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association (APPEA)

The oil and gas sector is strongly backing the government’s “Technology Roadmap”, demanding a major expansion of gas projects, gas fired hydrogen, and deployment of risky carbon capture technology.

View Source

Government has Agreed

Angus Taylor has proposed most of these solutions in the Technology Roadmap, with funding expected in the next Federal Budget.

South Australian Government

Released significant new oil and gas acreage to six companies, covering 15,000 square kilometres.

Source

Government has Enacted

Source

💸
Federal Government

Provide $125 million in funding to the Exploring for the Future program to enable an expansion of the mining sector.

Source

Government has Enacted

Government announced this funding, which has been supported by the Minerals Council of Australia and the Queensland Resources Council. Source

Glencore

The NSW government has fast tracked consideration of an application by Glencore to extend its Bulga mine in 2035. This is part of the Planning Assessment Acceleration Program, which was intended to prioritise job creation during the economic recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.

View source.

Government has made no comment

The Government is expected to make a decision by July 17 under its fast-tracked process. Source

Victorian Government

Passed the Petroleum Legislation Amendment Bill 2020 which overturned a ban on onshore gas exploration and extraction in Victoria. APPEA welcomed the legislation.

Source

Government has Enacted

Government passed legislation. Source

💸
Queensland Resources Council

Freeze all resource royalty payments for the next 10 years, allowing coal companies to extract resources from the ground for free.

View source

Government has made no comment

Queensland Minister for Natural Resources, Mines and Energy, Dr Anthony Lynham

Expose another 1500 square kilometres of Queensland to gas exploration across the Surat and Bowen Basins.

Source

Government has Enacted

The QLD Government has released the land for tender from June 18, 2020. Source

New Hope

Pressure the Queensland Government to “immediate approve” the New Acland Stage 3 coal mine, despite the coal mine currently being before the High Court.

Source

Government has made no comment

💸
Queensland Government

Cemented port and rail monopolies for at least another decade to transport coal from 50 mines to 5 ports to reduce costs for coal miners.

Source

Government has Enacted

Government announced this decision. Source

💸
Minerals Council of Australia

Demand that our government’s extend and expand support for early-stage exploration of new mineral provinces across regional Australia.

Source

Government has made no comment

👷
Christian Porter, Minister for Industrial Relations

Change industrial relations laws to allow mining companies to develop workplace contracts for the entire length of a coal or gas project. Unions are concerned this will reduce pay and conditions for workers over the life of a project.

Source

Government has Agreed

Government is proposing this change. Source

Strike Energy

Strike Energy’s West Erregulla Gas Project has been granted Lead Agency Status by the WA Government. Nev Power is the Deputy Chair of Strike Energy. Lead Agency Status means the Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation will support Strike Energy with “… coordination of approvals across a range of Government departments.”

Source

Government has Enacted

The WA Government has granted Lead Agency Status to expedite the project. Source

✂️
Queensland Resources Council

Seeking support from the Queensland Government to expedite the assessment of new mining projects, and rewrite Federal and State Government assessment processes.

Source

Government has made no comment

The Queensland Government has appointed Queensland Resources Council Chief Executive Ian Macfarlane to the Industry Recovery Alliance. Source

Angus Taylor, Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction

Calls on state and territory governments to develop more gas projects to fuel a ‘gas-fired recovery’ from the Covid-19 pandemic.

Source

Government has made no comment

State and territory governments have different policies settings regarding gas.

🔥
Senator Matt Canavan

Demands Australia withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement to limit global warming to less than 1.5 degrees Celsius.

Source

Government has made no comment

✂️
Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association

Call for Government’s to open up more land for gas exploration and development and remove bans on risky onshore gas extraction.

Source

Government has made no comment

Queensland Resources Council

Demand the Queensland Government approve nine major coal mines including New Acland Stage 3, Eagle Downs, Winchester South Whitehaven, Alpha Coal Project and Olive Downs.

Source

Government has made no comment

✂️ 💸
Minerals Council of Australia

Demand wide-ranging changes including a reduction in company tax to increasing mining profits, as well as “… expediting ­environmental assessments and approvals, reforming greenfields agreements and expanding incentives for exploration.”

Source

Government has made no comment

Scott Morrison has stated he wants to establish a new regime for environment assessments to speed up approvals. Source

🔥 ✂️ 💸 👷
Minerals Council of Australia

Issued a 19-page document which outlines wide-ranging changes to Australia’s environmental laws, tax system and workplace relations to increase mining volumes and company profits. The document includes requesting changes to ARENA and the CEFC to allow funding for carbon capture and storage.

Source

Government has made no comment

Government has not responded to the full suite of policy asks, however some items are supported such as company tax cuts, and re-writing environmental laws. Source

👷
Australian Mines and Metals Association

Seeking to change the Fair Work Act to limit the benefits paid to casual workers.

Source

Government has made no comment

🔥
Federal Government and lobby groups

Allow the Clean Energy Finance Corporation to fund unproven carbon capture and storage, which will remove funding from genuine clean energy projects.

Source

Government has Agreed

The Government has accepted 21 of the 26 recommendations of the Grant King review into the Government’s climate policies, which includes supporting CCS. Source

💸
Unknown members of the Covid-19 Commission

Advocate for Government investment in a gas pipeline connecting West and East Australia to facilitate the expansion of gas extraction and use.

Source

Government has made no comment

✂️
NSW Government

The Independent Planning Commission will have 12 weeks to decide whether to approve controversial and complex developments and mining projects, including Whitehaven Coal Vickery mine extension and the Narrabri gas fields

View source

Government has Agreed

The Independent Planning Commission will be forced to make these changes

✂️ 💸 👷
Minerals Council of Australia

Call for policy changes for the mining industry to pay lower tax, receive faster project approvals, and operate with less rigid industrial relations laws.

Source

Government has made no comment

Scott Morrison announced the Government wants to cut assessment times for major projects. Labor agreed. Source

👷
Anglo American

Change new gas monitoring regulations designed to prevent underground explosions at mines.

Source

Government has Denied

The Australian reports that Queensland Mines Minister Anthony Lynham rejected the push from Anglo American. Source

✂️ 💸
Australian Petroleum Production & Exploration Association

Advocating for deregulation of environmental law, and complaining about paying tax, blaming government for holding back investment.

View source

Government has Agreed

The government has signalled support for regulatory reform. Source

💸
Queensland Resources Council, APPEA, and the Association of Mining and Exploration Companies

Industry associations call for a fossil fuel industry support package which includes 12-month free rent on exploration licences, and opening up 7,000 square kilometres of land for gas and mining exploration. 

View source

Government has Enacted

Queensland Mines Minister Dr Anthony Lynham announced the $13.8 million support package, saying “A strong pipeline of exploration is critical to our future gas projects…” Source

🔥 💸
Australian Petroleum Production & Exploration Association

Request the use of $300 million in public funds to invest in gas to hydrogen which would rely on untested carbon capture and storage or controversial market offsets.

View source

Government has made no comment

The Federal Government has announced a $300 million Advancing Hydrogen Fund, the role for gas is unclear. Source

Minister for Resources, Keith Pitt

Australian government has opened public consultation on 49 potential areas for offshore oil and gas exploration.

View source

Government has Enacted

This was announced by the Government. Source

AGL

Australia’s single biggest polluter, AGL, is calling on the Government to expedite the assessment of their controversial Crib Point LNG import plant in Victoria.

View source

Government has made no comment

💸
Australian Petroleum Production & Exploration Association

Scrap an increase in royalties paid to the Queensland Government from selling gas for export and domestic consumption. The royalties are expected to increase from 10% to 12.5%.

View source

Government has made no comment

✂️
Santos and NSW Government

Change current rules regarding public hearings to allow for the assessment of the Pilliga coal seam gas project to continue through the Covid-19 crisis.

View source

Government has Enacted

Source

💸
Blue Energy

Seeking Government funding and sanction for a “shovel-ready” gas pipeline from Moranbah to Gladstone to open up a new gas basin.

View source

Government has made no comment

💸
NSW Government

NSW Government has deferred payments for exploration licences and assessment lease applicants by up to six months

View source

Government has Enacted

This was led by the NSW Government.

🔥
Angus Taylor, Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction

Redirect investment from renewable energy to carbon capture and storage through a new Technology Investment Roadmap. Despite hundreds of millions of dollars of investment over several decades, Carbon Capture and Storage has proven unfeasible.

View source

Government has Agreed

Angus Taylor, Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction is leading this push, the Technology Investment Roadmap will be released shortly.

✂️
Minerals Council of Australia

Slash federal environmental law which protects nature and threatened species so mining project assessments to be accelerated.

View source

Government has Agreed

Scott Morrison and Federal Environment Minister Susan Ley has committed to ‘tackle green tape’ and introduce new legislation this year. Source

💸
Minerals Council of Australia

Cut the company tax rate so the mining industry pays less to exploit and profit from Australia’s resources.

View source

Government has Agreed

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has stated in the Sydney Morning Herald, the Government is considering cutting company taxes. Source

✂️
Institute of Public Affairs

Gut environmental protections under the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act.

View source

Government has Agreed

Federal Environment Minister Susan Ley told The Guardian “Where there are opportunities to make sensible changes ahead of the final EPBC review report, I will be prepared to do so”. Scott Morrison agreed to cut assessment times for major projects. Source

💸
Western Australian government

WA government provides financial support to mining corporations by reducing mine safety levy.

View source

Government has Enacted

This was led by the WA Government. Source

💸
Santos

Gas giant Santos is requesting the Australian Government establish an emergency stockpile of gas.

View source

Government has made no comment

Minister for Energy Angus Taylor is quoted in the same news report as saying “Santos … is absolutely right that there’s a great opportunity for a gas recovery out of COVID-19.” Source

✂️
Angus Taylor, Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction

Amend the Fuel Quality Standards Act to reduce fuel standards, and purchase almost $100 million of oil from the US to ‘improve fuel security’.

View source

Government has Enacted

Angus Taylor appears to have initiated this change. Source

Australian Industrial Energy, a joint venture backed by Twiggy Forrest.

Australian Industrial Energy has sought approval of a huge new gas import terminal at Port Kembla.

View source

Government has Enacted

The NSW Government has approved the proposal. Source

💸
Minerals Council of Australia

Maintain the diesel excise rebate which provides a huge fossil fuel subsidy worth $2 billion per year to the mining sector.

View source

Government has Enacted

The Government has shown no sign of reconsidering this fossil fuel subsidy despite the revenue-raising potential.

💸
Minister for Resources, Keith Pitt

Pitt announced a simplified application process to renew oil and gas exploration permits.

View source

Government has Enacted

This was announced by Government. Source

💸
South Australian government

South Australian has waived petroleum licence fees for oil and gas exploration. 

View source

Government has Enacted

South Australian Government announced these changes. Source

Keith Pitt, Minister for Resources

Exploit the pristine waters of the Great Australian Bight for oil, which would put the southern ocean whale nursery at risk. This is despite Equinor, Chevron and BP ruling out the project

View source

Government has Agreed

Keith Pitt is leading this push after key corporate plays have ruled out the project due to high costs. Source

🔥 💸
Angus Taylor, Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction

Agreement between Commonwealth and NSW Governments to prop up coal-fired electricity generators through the Underwriting New Generation Investment (UNGI).

View source

Government has Agreed

Angus Taylor has led this push along with some in the mining and energy sectors. Source

🔥 ✂️
Australian Energy Market Operator, Australian Energy Market Commission and Australian Energy Regulator

Delay the implementation of the “5 Minute Settlement” – a new regulation in the National Electricity Market that would have encouraged the uptake of clean technologies like renewables and batteries.

View source

Government has Enacted

This has been put forward by the regulators responsible for its implementation. Source

✂️ 👷
Minerals Council of Australia & APPEA

Urge the Productivity Commission to recommend sweeping changes to environmental protection laws and industrial relations. Examples of their ongoing campaign for deregulation are here and here

Government has Agreed

Prime Minister Scott Morrison stated the Government will rely heavily on the advice of the Productivity Commission during the Covid-19 recovery.

✂️
Newcrest Mining

Change to the Corporations Act to restrict disclosure requirements for corporations, making it harder for investors and the community to hold companies to account.

View source

Government has made no comment

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg declined to comment. Source

👷
Australian Mines and Metals Association

Suspend workplace agreements to allow companies to cut workers hours, pay and conditions across the mining sector during and beyond the Covid-19 crisis.

View source

Government has Denied

Attorney-General Christian Porter rejected the claims, telling The Australian “… not the time for ambit claims for systemic or ideological changes to the IR system.” Source

Woodside

Approval sought for Woodside’s Scarborough gas project in the north west of Western Australia.

View source

Government has Enacted

NOPSEMA has approved the significant offshore gas project. Source

👷
Woodside

14 week rosters for workers, including 12 weeks on the job and two weeks in isolation, a move that the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union said could increase suicide rates and mental health problems.

View source

Government has made no comment

💸
Queensland Resources Council

Suspend and extend tenure requirements, which would mean companies can hold onto exploration projects longer without conducting any work.

View source

Government has made no comment

Peabody Coal

Approval sought to extract coal from three new longwalls, two of which will go beneath Greater Sydney’s drinking water reservoir.

View source

Government has Enacted

The Berejiklian government has approved the extension of coal mining under one of Greater Sydney’s reservoirs, the first such approval in two decades. Source

🔥
Institute for Public Affairs

Scrap the Clean Energy Finance Corporation which would strip $10 billion of investment in clean energy.

View source

Government has made no comment

✂️
Australian Petroleum Production & Exploration Association

Support for scrapping the “water trigger” in the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act that allows the Federal Environment Minister to review the impact on water of coal seam gas and coal mines.

View source

Government has made no comment

👷
Minerals Council and APPEA

List mining as an essential service, to allow operations and Fly-In, Fly-Out (FIFO) work to continue – even in high risk places like the Northern Territory that have been closed to other outsiders.

View source

Government has Enacted

FIFO work has been continuing, despite concerns from local community members and even the former Resources Minister Matt Canavan, who wrote to the MCA asking them to stop FIFO work temporarily. The MCA refused. Source

👷
Woodside

Woodside stood down 400 contractors without pay.

View source

Government has made no comment

Source

✂️
Aston Coal

Change in the Maules Creek approval conditions, giving Aston Coal another year to find biodiversity offsets that they have failed to find for the last five years.

View source

Government has Enacted

Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment changed approval conditions. Source

Australian Petroleum Production & Exploration Association

Victoria has lifted the moratorium on onshore gas.

View source

Government has Enacted

According to the ABC, the Andrews Government will introduce laws into State Parliament to allow drilling for gas from July 2021. Source

✂️
Institute for Public Affairs

Strip the community of the right to challenge mining projects that damage the environment in the courts, by repealing section 487 of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act.

View source

Government has Agreed

Federal Environment MInister Susan Ley told The Australian “the way the EPBC Act is being used in courts is serving nobody’s interests.” Source

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