Australia’s oil and gas sector has expressed a willingness to work collaboratively with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s newly restructured Ministry, emphasising the need for energy policy reforms that support long-term energy security and economic development.
Australian Energy Producers Chief Executive Samantha McCulloch welcomed the reappointment of Madeleine King as Minister for Resources and Northern Australia, noting her understanding of the role of natural gas in Australia’s energy mix.
“Minister King understands the critical and long-term role of natural gas in our energy mix and the importance of a strong and sustainable gas industry for Australia. We welcome the opportunity to continue to work with Minister King on the implementation of the Future Gas Strategy,” McCulloch said.
Highlighting the need to ensure stable energy supply, McCulloch identified the removal of barriers to new gas developments as a key issue for the sector.
“An urgent priority must be removing barriers to new gas supply. The industry is committed to working with the Government to provide certainty for investment and ensure reliable and affordable energy for Australian households and industry,” she said.
McCulloch also welcomed the appointments of Murray Watt as Minister for Environment and Water and Tim Ayres as Minister for Industry and Innovation, indicating that both roles will be pivotal to addressing challenges facing the sector.
“Minister Watt has an important job ahead to fix Australia’s environmental approvals system, with the delayed decision on the North West Shelf extension an immediate focus,” McCulloch said.
Additionally, McCulloch acknowledged the reappointment of Chris Bowen as Minister for Climate Change and Energy.
She pointed to the forthcoming review of the Gas Market Code as an opportunity to streamline regulatory settings.
“The review is an opportunity for Government to work with gas producers, users and other stakeholders on reforms to the Code that restore market signals, remove duplicative and onerous reporting requirements, and address barriers to new gas supply,” she said.
Australian Energy Producers also recognised the contributions of outgoing ministers Tanya Plibersek and Ed Husic in their respective portfolios of environment and industry.
