PERTH (miningweekly.com) – The New South Wales government has released more details regarding its proposed new gas plan, revealing this week that the Office of Coal Seam Gas (OCSG), within the Division of Resources and Energy, would be responsible for assessment of all coal seam gas (CSG) exploration applications.

Last week, Resources and Energy Minister Anthony Roberts announced plans to pause, reset and restart gas exploration in the state, implementing a strategic framework to deliver a well-regulated CSG industry.

Under the new legislation, the entire system for petroleum exploration licences would be reset, with the New South Wales government now deciding which areas would be released for exploration, and to whom.

The state government said this week that the new process for gas exploration under the planning system would ensure that one agency – the OCSG – is responsible for all gas exploration activity in New South Wales.

Under the new process, a company proposing gas exploration must prepare a review of environmental factors, which examines and responds to all potential impacts of the proposal.

If the OCSG considered that the impacts of a proposal were significant then an environmental-impact statement (EIS) would have to be prepared for public exhibition.

The state government pointed out that gas production would still be assessed by the Department of Planning and Environment under current arrangements.

This includes the independent gateway process to provide upfront safeguards for the state’s most valuable farmland, as well as public exhibition of a full EIS.

The Department of Planning and Environment was also publicly exhibiting a new policy that sets out clear standards for noise and dust impacts of mining on neighbouring properties.

The policy sets out the responsibilities of a mining company to ensure that appropriate mitigation measures were in place to reduce the impact of noise and dust and makes clear the circumstances under which the company needs to offer to buy affected neighbouring land.

The state government said that the policy in no way made it compulsory for land-holders to sell affected land.

Submissions on both policies are open until December 2.