Environmental Policy
The key function of the Environmental Policy Branch is to facilitate responsible development by participating with Commonwealth and State Government agencies in the formulation of environmental and heritage legislation, policies and strategies associated with the industry and resource sector.
Role of the Environmental Policy Branch
The Environmental Policy Branch is committed to:
- Providing accurate and timely advice to its stakeholders on policies affecting the industry and resource sector, Commonwealth and State Government and industry networks
- Supporting cooperation and communication between Government agencies
Key policy areas addressed:
- Climate Change (CCS, Offsets and Sector Emissions)
- Environmental Legislation
- Biodiversity
- Conservation Reserve Planning (Marine and Terrestrial)
- National and State Regional Marine Plans
- Coastal Planning and Management
Key customers:
- The Department of Industry and Resources
- The Standing Interagency Committee of Chief Executive Officers
- The Minister for State Development
- State Government Cabinet Standing Committees
- The Commonwealth Ministerial Council on Mineral and Petroleum Resources
- Commonwealth, State and Local Government Agencies
- Peak Industry Organisations
- NGO’s/Community Groups
Geosequestration
Geosequestration of carbon dioxide (CO2), also known as carbon capture and storage (CCS), is the process of capture, transport, injection and storage of CO2 in underground geological formations for the primary purpose of mitigating greenhouse gas emissions. CCS is one of a suite of options supported by the Western Australian Government for reducing greenhouse emissions. It is likely to be best suited to applications where there are significant point source emissions such as industrial processing, electricity generation, and petroleum and coal extraction operations.
The Commonwealth Government, together with the States and Territories, has recently developed the Australian Regulatory Guiding Principles for Carbon Dioxide Capture and Geological Storage (CCS Principles) (available through the Department of Industry, Tourism and Resources website). The Department of Industry and Resources (DoIR) was directly involved in the development of the Principles, and is continuing to work with the Commonwealth and other jurisdictions to address a range of regulatory and technical issues relevant to the establishment of CCS projects in Australia.
The Western Australian Greenhouse Strategy (available through the Department of Environment and Conservation's website) proposes CCS as a greenhouse abatement mechanism. The Strategy identifies the objective of ensuring that “Western Australia has the required knowledge, the appropriate policy settings and effective regulatory frameworks to enable informed decisions about geological sequestration proposals.”
In accordance with this Greenhouse Strategy, DoIR's Environment Division coordinates consideration of matters relating to the development of geosequestration regulations and policy.
The Gorgon Joint Venture proposal to establish a gas processing facility on Barrow Island off the North West coast of Western Australia includes an important CCS component. DoIR is responsible for providing assistance to the Gorgon Joint Venture while they undergo environmental assessment. This includes ensuring that the CCS component of the project is regulated in a manner consistent with the CCS Principles and relevant legislative requirements. Throughout the process, DoIR is maintaining its involvement in a range of technical studies conducted to assess specific aspects of the CCS proposal.
Contact us for further information on DoIR's involvement in developing a CCS policy and regulatory framework.
