The inquiry will add to yet another of a long list of state and federal inquiries the industry has had to face over the past few years.
“I am determined to bring about change in Australia,”? Senator Glenn Lazarus said today.
“Governments can no longer ignore the impact of CSG mining and other types of unconventional gas mining on the people of Australia.”
The inquiry, which will be chaired by Mr Lazarus, will report in June 2016.
The APPEA has responded by saying that Australia does not need another politically motivated and costly federal parliamentary inquiry into the natural gas industry.
“The Senate inquiry announced today will cover issues which have already been exhaustively investigated by numerous independent or parliamentary inquiries,” APPEA Chef Executive Malcolm Roberts said.
“A host of respected experts such as the Australian College of Learned Academies, the Royal Society in the UK, the NSW Chief Scientist and CSIRO’s Gas Industry, Social and Environmental Research Alliance have confirmed that the industry operates under a robust regulatory regime.
“The gas industry is confident that the facts will show an industry which is safe, responsible and enormously beneficial to Australia, especially to regional communities,” Dr Roberts said.