The Queensland state government has taken swift and decisive action to unlock the Taroom Trough, ratifying a new development plan that could establish Australia’s first major new oil province since the 1970s.
The State Development and Public Works Organisation (Taroom Trough Development Plan Works) Amendment Regulation 2026 was approved just over two weeks since the government first announced its streamlining plan.
This key step officially activates the Coordinator-General’s powers to drive whole-of-government planning for the region. The move comes after the government first flagged its intent to streamline the project, aiming to bolster national fuel security amid ongoing global supply chain volatility.
Deputy Premier and Minister for State Development, Jarrod Bleijie, described the Taroom Trough as a generational opportunity that would allow Queensland to secure its own energy destiny.
“The Taroom Trough is a credible opportunity for Queensland to drive its own destiny again and ensure we’re no longer at the mercy of foreign nations and at the end of a global supply chain,” Bleijie said.
“Coordinated development in the Taroom Trough ensures the most efficient and fast-tracked pathway for its development to bolster the nation’s long-term fuel security, and helps deliver regional investment and jobs for our rural and regional communities sooner.”
The development plan provides a framework to streamline roads and trunk infrastructure, giving investors the certainty and clarity required to commit to the basin. Currently, 200 barrels of oil from the Trough are already being sent daily to the refinery at Eromanga for local fuel supply.
Minister for Natural Resources and Mines, Dale Last, issued a blunt message to the resources industry: “I’ll sign, you drill.”
“The Taroom Trough has the potential to open up Australia’s first major oil province since the 1970s and we’re moving forward with our plan to streamline approvals so producers can get on with it,” he added.
The Coordinator-General, Gerard Coggan, confirmed his office is now prioritising a governance framework to maximise job creation and infrastructure sharing. Immediate priorities include conducting baseline studies, addressing tenure arrangements, and planning critical pathway to market infrastructure.
