21 Sep 2018

The oil and gas industry welcomed the release today of the Resources 2030 Task Force report, which acknowledges the vital contribution the resources sector makes to Australia and provides important recommendations to secure and enhance its long-term future.

APPEA Chief Executive Dr Malcolm Roberts said: “We congratulate Resources Minister Matt Canavan for launching this opportunity to develop and encourage a bi-partisan and long-term policy approach for Australia’s resources sector.”

Dr Roberts said the Task Force should be commended for its broad‑ranging assessment of the contribution the sector makes to the Australian economy, particularly in the regional areas that host development.

“The Task Force, led by Andrew Cripps, is to be applauded for its consultative approach and frank assessment of the opportunities and challenges facing the sector,” Dr Roberts said.

“The oil and gas industry has invested around $300 billion in oil and gas projects across Australia over the last decade.  This investment will deliver decades of economic growth, exports and jobs for Australia.

“The economic footprint of the oil and gas industry goes far beyond its production wells and operating facilities.  Oil and gas is not ‘just’ a resources industry – it supports a vast supply chain of businesses in manufacturing, services and construction.  That is in addition to the hundreds of thousands of jobs in manufacturing, transport and other industries which are supported by the oil and gas we produce.”

The report’s 29 recommendations cover a range of important areas, including:

  • Ensuring Australia is an attractive destination for resource sector investment.
  • Regular benchmarking of domestic and international policies to identify areas for improvement. APPEA has recommended the Productivity Commission leads this critical work.
  • Improving the geoscience data so vital to Australia’s future exploration efforts and promoting new regions and basins for future exploration. With Australia’s petroleum exploration at its lowest level since the early 1990’s, concerted action is needed to reverse this trend.
  • Collaboration between industry, governments and communities on community engagement. The industry continues to strive to be a valued member of the communities in which it operates.
  • Streamlining regulatory frameworks, including bilateral agreements to create genuine one-stop-shops for environmental assessments and approvals.
  • Mapping the skills needs of the resources sector for 2030 and beyond. The industry offers highly skilled, long-term, well‑paid employment.  Identifying future skills needs will be vital.  So too is productivity and flexibility in our labour market and less duplication and inefficiency in regulatory processes.

The industry looks forward to taking the work of the Task Force forward and collaborating with the Government, and with other political parties and stakeholders, to develop the National Resources Statement, the first dedicated Resources Statement since February 1998.

Read the Resources 2030 Task Force report here>> Download PDF

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Matthew DomanMobile: 0421 888 858Email: >[email protected]