A Labor-dominated Parliamentary Committee has recommended the voting down a Bill that would protect NSW coastal communities from offshore drilling for gas and oil.
The Opposition’s Minerals Legislation Amendment (Offshore Drilling and Associated Infrastructure Prohibition) Bill 2023 would effectively stop projects like PEP-11 by preventing any development associated with gas drilling, such as pipelines, through the seabed in NSW coastal waters.
Opposition Leader Mark Speakman said this was looking like another broken Minns Labor Government promise.
“Before the election, Labor repeatedly said that they were opposed to PEP-11 and would ban it,” Mr Speakman said. “But now that they have the opportunity to protect our environment from offshore drilling risks, they decide to vote it down.”
Shadow Environment Minister Kellie Sloane, the sole Coalition committee member, said it’s clear the Minns Labor Government never had any intention of supporting the Bill.
“Labor MPs up and down the NSW coast promised their communities they would fight against PEP-11, but when the opportunity came they chose politics over people and the environment.”
“This is a betrayal of coastal communities who expressed significant opposition to these offshore gas and oil projects in NSW,” said Ms Sloane.
“The Minns Labor Government is using the excuse of an entirely hypothetical future fight with the Albanese Labor Government to vote against this important Bill that would have given our coastal communities certainty.”
Member for Pittwater Rory Amon, who introduced the Opposition’s Private Members Bill, said Northern Beaches locals can’t trust Labor when it comes to our precious coastline.
“Labor has long campaigned against offshore gas and oil, while continuing to play pure politics and referring the Bill to a partisan committee for a Government stitch up. Labor’s committee now recommends the Bill be dumped.”
“This move by the Minns Labor Government is effectively a green-light for offshore gas and oil rigs off Pittwater. Together with our coastal communities we will continue to fight this.”
