Australia’s chief scientist gives the watchdog for drilling in The Bight his tick of approval
Australia’s chief scientist says the body tasked with deciding if searching for oil in the Great Australian Bight meets environmental standards is equal to the task.
SA News
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AUSTRALIA’S oil and gas exploration watchdog is well equipped to access drilling activity in the Great Australian Bight, Australia’s Chief Scientist says.
In a new report, released today, Alan Finkel said the National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority’s (NOPSEMA) “processes and guidelines appropriately take into account all environmental risks and impacts” as required under the regulations.
Dr Finkel was asked to undergo an investigation into NOPSEMA by the Morrison Government amid political pressure in the lead up the May Federal Election.
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His audit team was tasked with providing independent assurance that all environmental impacts and risks are considered by NOPSEMA in its assessment of current proposed exploration drilling activity in The Bight.
“The audit team is confident the community should feel assured that NOPSEMA is a highly skilled regulator well-equipped to give appropriate consideration to its regulatory obligations in assessing environment plans submitted to it,” Dr Finkel said.
The report has found there is still some room for improvement including enhancing transparency and providing clearer guidance to the public on what it considers when it assesses environmental impact.
Dr Finkel has also recommended more work is done on better explaining the impact of oil spills and how they could be managed.
“There is a role for governments and their agencies to better explain, on a continuous basis, how the regulatory regime manages risks to the environment,” he said.
“The audit team’s consultation sessions indicated communities wanted more information on the measures in place to prevent an oil spill and the response plan if a spill occurs.”
The report has been tabled a day after Norwegian company Equinor, that plans to drill in The Bight, updated its environmental plan to NOPSEMA amid accusations the company were keeping details of its plans secret.