Environment Victoria response to the Future Gas Strategy

On the same day climate scientists say we won’t be able to keep global heating under 1.5 degrees, Madeleine King is announcing plans to drill and ship yet more fossil gas. 

Environment Victoria CEO Jono La Nauze called the decision appalling. 

“Pretending gas is a climate solution is a throwback to the Scott Morrison era and is straight out of the gas lobby playbook. 

“Gas is an expensive disaster for our climate and our health. We already know that burning gas at home has health impacts on the level of second-hand smoke and is responsible for 12% of all childhood asthma in Australia.

“The idea that drilling for more gas in Western Australia could shield Victorians from spiralling gas prices is misleading. It is a geological fact that our once plentiful supplies in Bass Strait are running out, and the cost of replacing that supply with gas shipped from interstate or overseas is exorbitant. 

“Worse, importing LNG into Victoria would create at least 2.4 times more emissions than producing methane gas locally, because it involves three additional polluting steps – liquefaction, shipping halfway around the world, and regasification when the ship arrives in Victoria. This assumes a modern two-stroke tanker is used – older tankers, which are common, are far worse.

“No country takes responsibility for emissions from international shipping – this dodgy carbon accounting makes our ‘net zero’ look good on paper but is bad news for our climate. The fact is, if we import LNG, we are the cause of those extra emissions. 

“The LNG terminal proposed for Geelong would import far more gas than Victoria actually needs. In fact, if Victoria replaced residential gas heaters we wouldn’t have a shortfall at all. 

“The lion’s share of gas use in Victoria has been in homes and we’re already on a pathway to cutting gas demand in households. Efficient, electric appliances are already available and saving households money. Victorian can save 75% on their winter heating bills by going electric – and much more when they drop their gas connection entirely.

The science and the economics are clear – we need to move away from fossil fuels like gas, not lock in further exploitation for decades to come.