The Western Australian Government has released its Penalties Position Paper outlining the proposal to increase penalties for environmental offences under the Petroleum and Geothermal Energy Resources Act 1967 (PGERA).

The aim of the increased penalties is to provide an effective deterrent to non-compliance, and demonstrates the State Government’s commitment to supporting a safe, responsible and compliant approach to petroleum development, in line with community expectations.

The proposed amendments, which will form part of a Bill amending the PGERA and consequential amendments to the Petroleum and Geothermal Energy Resources (Environment) Regulations 2012, will ensure that appropriate and proportional penalties can be applied according to the nature and scale of offences under the PGERA.

Further detail regarding the specific legislative amendments will be provided in the Bill, which will be released for public comment in the first half of 2021.

The Independent Scientific Panel Inquiry into Hydraulic Fracture Stimulation in Western Australia (the Inquiry) handed its final report to the Government in September 2018. The report contained 91 findings and 44 recommendations.

This paper addresses Action 13 of the Implementation Plan for the State Government’s response to the Inquiry. This action outlines the Government’s response to Recommendation 40 of the Inquiry’s report.

For updates on individual Implementation Actions and further information please visit www.hydraulicfracturing.wa.gov.au.