Onshore conventional gas exploration in the south-west could be the answer to the state’s power woes, a Corangamite Shire councillor says.
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Victoria has extended its ban on the exploration and development of onshore conventional gas until 2020, but Cr Neil Trotter said current uncertainty around power supply should merit revisiting the issue.
“If there is gas available conventionally, we should be utilising those assets,” he said.
“We have a gas industry here that is worth a lot of money to this shire and we have a smelter at Portland that’s crying out for a surety of power – expansion of the gas generation network could be feasible and could service their requirements.”
Cr Trotter said with the coal-fired Hazelwood power station to soon come offline, the state had to look at other ways of generating power.
“To have that assured baseload power, gas generation is one option,” he said.
Cr Trotter’s comments came after Cr Bev McArthur called for more information on Corangamite Shire’s previous work into the issue at Tuesday night’s council meeting.
Cr McArthur said the ban until 2020 presented “serious issues” for expanding the region’s processing and agricultural industries.
“Many of these food and timber processing industries, including stock food companies, need gas as the power source, not electricity,” she said.
“We have an abundant supply of gas, indeed wells are ready to be untapped at short notice for the benefit of increased economic activity.
“Developing energy of all forms is critical for this generation and the next and I would hope this council would continue to support onshore conventional gas exploration, which should not be confused with unconventional gas exploration, sometimes referred to as 'fracking'.”
Mayor Jo Beard said power was a “hot topic” and something the council would continue to advocate on.
Last month Victoria became the first state in Australia to permanently ban fracking, as well as extending the moratorium on exploration and extraction of conventional onshore gas for another five years.
It was a move supported by the Victorian Farmers’ Federation.
President David Jochinke said without “hard scientific evidence” the risk to groundwater reserves was too great.
