Tasmanians now have the opportunity to have their say on the mining practice of hydraulic fracturing, commonly known as fracking, as part of a review of its potential use and impact in the State.
As we promised we would before the March election, the Liberal Government introduced a 12-month moratorium on fracking upon coming to office.
This moratorium was to allow the review to be undertaken before the practice is considered and given the considerable public interest, particularly the concerns in primary industry and rural communities.
Today, the Government is releasing the Terms of Reference for this review and inviting public submissions.
The review is being led by the Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment in partnership with Mineral Resources Tasmania.
It will consider on one hand the potential use in Tasmania of fracking, including technology and processes, scientific evidence and best practice environmental and safety standards.
On the other, the review will examine the potential impacts on agriculture, groundwater, and the broader Tasmanian environment, as well as considering developments and experiences in the regulation of fracking elsewhere.
Also under scrutiny will be the robustness and operation of the current laws governing exploration licences and any future extraction licences, and whether any changes are required to improve protections for landholders.
DPIPWE has prepared an Issues Paper to assist with public submissions, which is now available on the Department's website along with the complete Terms of Reference.
Submissions will close on December 5 and a final report on the outcomes of the review is expected to be completed by next March.
More Media Releases from Jeremy Rockliff
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