Friends of the Earth condemns the Victorian government's decision today to approve Amplitude Energy's Annie-2 Gas Field project in the Otway Basin, saying the announcement will flare up long-held community resistance to gas drilling.
'In the 2010s, we saw an enormous community campaign in southwest Victoria that fought for a ban on fracking and new gas drilling. Is the government prepared to overrule the overwhelming local community sentiment against gas drilling?' said Friends of the Earth Offshore Gas campaigner Stan Woodhouse.
The project is scheduled to start supplying gas from 2028 and will drill 9km off the coast from Peterborough and Port Campbell.
Friends of the Earth says the new gas project would jeopardise Victoria's ambitious Emissions Reduction Targets and fly in the face of the scientific consensus against new fossil fuel projects.
'Victoria is making strong progress in getting off gas. What we need now is to ramp up those efforts, not go backwards by drilling for more fossil gas,' said Stan Woodhouse.
'Victoria has committed to reducing emissions by 80% by 2035. Emissions from new offshore gas drilling will jeopardise our efforts to act on the climate crisis.'
In 2021, the International Energy Agency released an analysis that showed that governments must rule out new coal, oil, and gas projects to have any chance of achieving the global goal of net-zero emissions by 2050.
Community consultation will commence from May 27 and includes local drop-in sessions in Portland, Warrnambool and Peterborough.
