Carbon dioxide capture and geological storage (CCS) is a relatively new form of technology that aids in reducing greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere. Several CCS projects have been proposed in Australia necessitating the development of a sound, guiding regulatory framework for CCS.
Development of the Regulatory Guiding Principles for CCS
On 25 November 2005, the Ministerial Council on Mineral and Petroleum Resources (MCMPR) endorsed the Regulatory Guiding Principles for Carbon Dioxide Capture and Geological Storage 
[PDF, 779KB]. The aim of the Regulatory Guiding Principles is to achieve a nationally-consistent framework for CCS activities in each Australian jurisdiction.
Six key issues were seen as fundamental to a CCS regulatory framework:
- assessment and approvals processes
- access and property rights
- transportation issues
- monitoring and verification
- liability and post-closure responsibilities
- financial issues.
To obtain a hard copy of the Regulatory Guiding Principles for CCS please use our email Contact form.
Development of CCS legislation
Amendments to the Commonwealth Offshore Petroleum Act 2006 (OPA) to provide access and property rights for CCS in Australian waters have been developed in consistency with the Regulatory Guiding Principles for CCS.
The legislation aims to provide project developers with the certainty required to commit to major low emission energy projects involving CCS. It also allows for the establishment of an effective regulatory framework to ensure that projects meet health, safety and environmental requirements.
The OPA was identified as the most appropriate vehicle to implement a CCS access regime due to the co-existence of the petroleum and CCS industries, the need to establish determinable rights between both industries, and the similarities in the technologies used by both industries.
The legislation incorporates a licensing framework broadly similar to the existing regime for petroleum activities including CCS-specific assessment permits, holding leases and injection licences.
The regulatory framework, consisting of guidelines and regulations to underpin the legislation, is also being developed.
The Bill was referred to the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Primary Industries and Resources for review. The Committee reported its findings to the Government on 15 August 2008 in a report entitled, Down Under: Greenhouse Gas Storage, which made several recommendations on the proposed legislation. The Committee's report and the Government's response to the Committee's recommendations can be accessed on the House of Representatives
website.
The Bill was introduced into the House of Representatives on 18 June 2008. Following the Committee's report, it was amended in light of the Committee's recommendations. The amended Bill was passed through the House of Representatives on 18 September 2008. The Bill was introduced into the Senate on 24 September 2008 and is currently being debated.
The Offshore Petroleum Amendment (Greenhouse Gas Storage) Bill and associated documents can be downloaded below: