The Victorian Government is looking for input on its plan to bring back the onshore gas industry. 

The state’s new Petroleum Regulations 2021 are open for feedback ahead of being finalised in coming months. 

The plan to restart onshore conventional gas extraction follows several years of investigations by the Victorian Gas Program, overseen by the independent Stakeholder Advisory Panel chaired by Victoria’s Lead Scientist, Dr Amanda Caples. 

Conventional gas extraction is used to access gas deep underground trapped by an impermeable rock layer but does not involve fracking, which is prohibited by the Victorian Constitution.

The state says an onshore conventional gas industry would not compromise its environment or farming sector.

Since Victoria lifted its onshore conventional gas moratorium, Earth Resources Regulation has inspected existing onshore conventional gas sites as part of a program to ensure compliance with existing safeguards and to see if the industry is prepared for the new regulatory regime.