Draft Strategic Release Framework for Coal and Petroleum Exploration and Draft Preliminary Regional Issues Assessment Guidelines
EDO NSW submission on Strategic Release Framework and PRIA Guidelines
6 November 2015 - Download PDF
This is a submission on how the NSW Government identifies and releases new areas for coal and gas exploration. The Government’s draft Framework would be informed by a ‘Preliminary Regional Issues Analysis’, which we also comment on. Our key recommendations are:
- Implement the Preliminary Assessment and Advisory Body in legislation
- Include independent experts and added transparency for the Advisory Body
- Consider climate change in the Strategic Framework and Preliminary Assessment Guidelines
- the Preliminary Assessment must go beyond existing data (adopting the precautionary principle, clear environmental assessment criteria, exclusion zones and cumulative impact assessment).