Australia Must Act to Increase Gas Development

Committee for Economic Development of Australia (CEDA) has said in a report that Australian governments must find the right balance to develop unconventional gas projects, or billions of dollars in investment and thousands of job opportunities will be lost.

The CEDA report says that a successful development of the resource could provide a lower-emission energy source than traditional supplies such as coal, and deliver tens of thousands of jobs, Australian Associated Press said in a news item.

"Currently, we are seeing superficial arguments that pit farmers or environmentalists against miners," CEDA chief executive Stephen Martin said when releasing the report, AAP said.

"This is holding back the discussions that need to take place to progress this issue."

He said with the exception of Queensland, where progress has been made on significant developments, unconventional energy in Australia is still in its infancy.

However, coal seam gas represents about one-quarter of Australia's economically demonstrated resources of gas from all sources. Its full potential can only be realised if it continues to have a social licence to operate, he said.