Inquiry Hears Officials Lack Key Data Behind Labor’s 20 Percent Gas Reservation Scheme

Australia’s resources department was unable to say how much gas would remain under Labor’s proposed 20 percent reservation scheme.

Minister for Industry and Innovation Tim Ayres outside Parliament House in Canberra, Australia on Aug. 19, 2024. AAP Image/Mick Tsikas

The federal government’s proposed 20 percent gas reservation scheme has faced scrutiny at Senate Estimates, after officials were unable to provide figures showing how much gas would remain in Australia under the policy.

Shadow Resources Minister Susan McDonald questioned whether the government had the data to support the state’s intervention into the private gas market.