Australian governments must reassure communities about CSG and other unconventional energy sources or risk investments.

The report, titled Australia's Unconventional Energy Options, will be released by the Committee for Economic Development in Australia in Brisbane today.

It states new energy industries can provide lower emission options, and promise to create tens of thousands of jobs,

CEDA's chief executive Mr Stephen Martin said that but the full potential of "unconventional" gas developments will be realised only if companies have a social licence to operate.

He said that "In recent weeks we have seen further protests in NSW and a moratorium being discussed in Victoria for coal seam gas extraction, which shows that the social licence to operate is in serious jeopardy.”

"You can't expect zero risk with any industry. But a balance can be struck between communities, protecting the environment and miners, provided the right checks and balances are put in place by government and implemented quickly."

Prof Martin said the key issues to consider were the economic opportunities for Australia, ground water management and property rights issues, gaps in current legislative and regulatory regimes and lessons to be learnt from the United States experience.

Special attention had to be paid to water management requirements, he added.

Prof Martin said while many of the issues fell to state governments to manage, the federal government needed to work with them to ensure consistency.

Source - Weekly Times Now

(www.coalguru.com)