The Australia Institute has taken out a full-page advertisement in today's Adelaide Advertiser to remind South Australians that Premier Peter Malinauskas' decision to overturn the state's ban on gas fracking is not only irresponsible, but also unnecessary.
Co-CEO of The Australia Institute, Dr Richard Denniss, said everyone from former Federal Opposition Leader Peter Dutton to current One Nation MPs in South Australia understand there is no need to extract more gas from South Australia.
"Australia has never had a gas shortage. What we have is a gas export problem," Dr Denniss said.
"In the past five years, our governments have allowed foreign gas exporters to export enough gas to supply Australia for more than 20 years.
"Just last week the federal government introduced a policy to ensure more Australian gas was kept in Australia.
"A 25% gas export tax would be even more effective in helping Australians. An export tax would see more gas diverted to domestic markets, end the fake shortages, and push gas prices down for Australian households and businesses.
"Not only that. A gas export tax would raise $17 billion a year which could be used to fund essential services for South Australians like aged care, health, housing, and better support for people living with a disability.
"To suddenly reopen South Australia to destructive fracking makes no sense.
"The big gas export companies keep saying they need to extract more gas while saying it would 'shore up' domestic supplies. But this is nonsense. 80% of the gas extracted in Australia is exported.
"Most of our gas exports are literally given away to the gas companies. The gas export companies are making obscene profits while the real owners of the gas – the Australian people – are told the government can't even afford to properly fund our essential services."
