Video transcript: Stakeholder Advisory Panel members video

[Title: Victorian Gas Program. Stakeholder Advisory Panel for Onshore Conventional Gas

Geological Survey Of Victoria]

[Dr. Amanda Caples speaking]

Dr. Amanda Caples – Victorian Lead Scientist

Hello. I'm Dr. Amanda Caples, the Victorian Lead Scientist and chair of the Stakeholder Advisory Panel for Onshore Conventional Gas. The panel is an important part of the Victorian Gas Program, a three-year series of scientific studies to better understand Victoria's natural gas resources.

[Vision: Panel meeting with members in discussion]

The panel meets regularly to receive reports and provide feedback on the work program. Our goal is to build an understanding of the science investigations and the risk benefits and the impacts of onshore conventional gas exploration and development. We bring a wide range of views to the table with members coming from farming, industry, local government and environmental groups.

[Dr. Amanda Caples speaking.]

The government banned fracking in Victoria in 2017.

[Dr. Amanda Caples speaking. Vision: Panel meeting with members in discussion]

The panel process has been a tremendous opportunity…

[Dr. Amanda Caples speaking.]

…to better understand the science and the issues around natural gas.

[Dr. Amanda Caples speaking. Vision: Panel meeting with members in discussion]

By sharing the results of the various studies, the panel members have been able to develop an informed, in-depth view of conventional gas. In 2020, the panel…

[Dr. Amanda Caples speaking.]

…will advise the minister on its views on the science and on the risks, benefits and impacts of onshore, conventional gas development.

[Dr. Amanda Caples speaking. Vision: Panel meeting with members in discussion]

This video captures panel members' views about the Victorian gas…

[Dr. Amanda Caples speaking.]

…program and the stakeholder advisory panel progress to date.

[Tennant Reed, Australian Industry Group speaking. Text on screen: What is the value of the Victorian Gas Program and the Stakeholder Advisory Panel?]

If gas is going to be available for production in Victoria, it needs community understanding and support and confidence that any issues around the community, environment, agriculture and industry have been addressed in the process.

[Linda French, Beach Energy speaking. Text on screen: What is the value of the Victorian Gas Program and the Stakeholder Advisory Panel?]

The breadth of the program of work is important and the different roles and perspectives that make up the panel, I think is very important to the integrity of the process.

[Stephen Bell, Qenos speaking. Text on screen: What is the value of the Victorian Gas Program and the Stakeholder Advisory Panel?]

We desperately need the development of more gas in Australia, and this process is critical to ensuring that decisions are made based on sound, scientific evidence.

[Alison Marchant, Frack Free Moriac speaking. Text on screen: What is the value of the Victorian Gas Program and the Stakeholder Advisory Panel?]

As I was really on that journey with the fracking ban campaign, and it's really important that the community now feel confident in having that voice at this table to make sure that the hard questions are being asked.

[Jono La Nauze, Environment Victoria speaking. Text on screen: What is the value of the Victorian Gas Program and the Stakeholder Advisory Panel?]

The cost of banning fossil fuels like gas is really starting to add up. Extreme weather events are getting more frequent, more intense and more damaging due to climate change. Environment Victoria is very keen to scrutinise the science behind the Victorian Gas Program and highlight the environmental impacts of continuing to rely on fossil fuels rather than replacing them with renewables.

[Cr. Joanne Beard, Great South Coast Group speaking. Text on screen: What is the value of the Victorian Gas Program and the Stakeholder Advisory Panel?]

And that there is an existing gas industry within the Southwest, but obviously the science that's going on between not only the Otway basin but also in the Gippsland areas, is really important to all local government areas for their communities to understand what resources are there and how that can be invested.

[Mr Ben Davis, Australian Workers’ Union speaking. Text on screen: What is the value of the Victorian Gas Program and the Stakeholder Advisory Panel?]

The gas program itself is really important because what it does is it brings clarity and science to a debate that often lacks it. And to have a committee that oversees its work is critically important because it demystifies the work that's going on. So that people from a diverse background and with diverse interests and views about gas can actually see, in real time, all the work playing out about what resources are out there, whether those resources are provable and what social and economic issues are attached to the gas industry in Victoria.

[Gerald Leach, Victorian Farmers’ Federation speaking. Text on screen: What is the value of the Victorian Gas Program and the Stakeholder Advisory Panel?]

Because it gives us an opportunity to bring our views forward, working with others that are involved including the gas industry itself, but other stakeholders, so that we can all collectively work together to bring about what is the best outcome for the people of Victoria.

[Alison Marchant, Frack Free Moriac speaking. Text on screen: How have you found the process to date?]

The process has been informative and I've been able to ask questions that the community will want answers to.

[Cr. Joanne Beard, Great South Coast Group speaking. Text on screen: How have you found the process to date?]

Think it's been extremely important, the transparency of the project, the fact that I've learned so much and then I can take that back and engage with at a community level.

[Stephen Bell, Qenos speaking. Text on screen: How have you found the process to date?]

We've got a cross-section of people who represent all areas of the community and the industry and so we get, I think, a very rich and well-informed perspective into the debate.

[Jono La Nauze, Environment Victoria speaking. Text on screen: How have you found the process to date?]

The process, to date, has been very respectful of different views. On the panel, I'm keen to ensure we're looking at the risks and impacts of opening up new gas fields in Victoria, particularly in light of the Victorian government's commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2050.

[Linda French, Beach Energy speaking. Text on screen: How have you found the process to date?]

I think the process has been thorough, disciplined, educative, consultative, reporting outside of the group to the broader community.

[Gerald Leach, Victorian Farmers’ Federation speaking. Text on screen: How have you found the process to date?]

In fact I could say it's been exciting because there's been a strong learning curve, certainly for myself and I suspect that some of my colleagues on the stakeholder advisory panel.

[Mr Ben Davis, Australian Workers’ Union speaking. Text on screen: How have you found the process to date?]

It's gone very well because everyone has checked their biases at the door and despite the fact that we've all come from a range of different views and perspectives on gas, we've all managed to work together in a very collegial, consensual manner. And that has made the process a lot better and a lot more positive than it otherwise might have been.

[Tennant Reed, Australian Industry Group speaking. Text on screen: How have you found the process to date?]

It's working well and we're confident that we're going to get to a result that will have a lot of consent around it and no surprises.

[Vision: Credits – Thanks To. Website address. VICTORIA Logo]

Page last updated: 01 Dec 2021