Offshore petroleum activities in NT strategic assessment

The Northern Territory (NT) has significant reserves of offshore petroleum, from the Bonaparte Basin in the west to the Arafura Basin in the east.

It's important to protect the ecosystems of these marine environments from oil and gas impacts in these areas. This inactive strategic assessment was the first step in streamlining NT and Commonwealth waters petroleum activity approvals.

 

Strategic assessments are a collaboration between the Australian Government and an assessment partner. This collaboration allows for a big-picture approach to safeguarding protected matters from the impacts of development over a long time.

The Offshore petroleum activities (NT) strategic assessment on this page is inactive. This means the then Department of the Environment signed an agreement. However, the Australian Government no longer anticipates receiving further documents to progress the strategic assessment.

The partner has no obligation to finalise the strategic assessment requirements. They may choose not to continue to seek approval for their development at any time.

Overview

Offshore petroleum activities in NT coastal waters stretch across northern Australia. Coastal waters extend up to 3 nautical miles from the coastline. Activities include oil and gas:

  • drilling
  • processing and export
  • pipeline activity
  • exploration.

Petroleum activities may need assessment or approval from more than one authority, including:

  • the Commonwealth Environment minister, for activities that may impact protected matters
  • the National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority (NOPSEMA), for work health and safety (WHS), structural integrity and environmental management in Commonwealth waters
  • the NT petroleum regulators, for WHS, structural integrity and environmental management in coastal waters
  • the NT environment regulator, for other environmental matters in coastal waters.

This strategic assessment aimed to streamline approvals without compromising high environmental standards in assessing oil and gas proposals in NT coastal waters. It was the opening step to streamline approvals if the NT Government decided to give regulatory powers to NOPSEMA.

Signed agreement

On 11 June 2015, representatives of 3 organisations signed an agreement to begin a strategic assessment. This would assess the environmental management authorisation process for petroleum activities in NT coastal waters. The organisations were:

  • the then Department of the Environment
  • the then Department of Industry, Science and Resources
  • NOPSEMA.

The strategic assessment agreement describes the process under section 146 of the EPBC Act.

Strategic Assessment Agreement (PDF 3 MB)
Strategic Assessment Agreement (DOCX 82 KB)

Terms of reference

The terms of reference for a strategic assessment detail how the strategic assessment partner is to assess the impacts of their proposed development activities.

The public comment period on the draft terms of reference ran from 17 July to 14 August 2015.

On 9 November 2015 the final terms of reference, including the public comments, were approved.

Final terms of reference (PDF 124 KB)
Final terms of reference (DOCX 41 KB)

Program and impact report

The NT Government had no obligation to transfer regulatory powers to NOPSEMA and chose not to do so. This means they didn't develop a final program and impact report.

This strategic assessment is now inactive.

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