The Climate Council Media Release
The Albanese Government has just approved a new gas export project, leaving Australians highly exposed to volatile international markets and rising costs of living.
The project is approved until 2081 – more than three decades after Australia plans to finish its switch to clean energy – and brings the Albanese Government’s tally of new climate-polluting projects to 36 coal, oil and gas projects approved since 2022.
Climate Councillor Greg Bourne said: “Digging up and exporting more gas directly exposes Australians to price hikes driven by global conflict, as we’re seeing play out right now. Since fossil fuel corporations began exporting gas from the east coast of Australia, domestic gas prices have surged, leaving Aussies to foot increasingly high power bills.
“Rather than approving new gas export projects that enrich corporations, the Government can better protect Australians against price rises by limiting non-contracted gas exports and taking decisive steps to ensure Australia puts our own energy needs first.”
The Climate Council welcomes reports that the Prime Minister is considering proposals for a tax on gas exports, which would help ensure multinational gas corporations pay their fair share for the public resources they are profiting from. This should be part of a broader effort to permanently secure Australia’s energy independence and a safer future by getting off fossil fuels entirely.
Climate Councillor Greg Bourne said: “True energy security comes from power sources that no foreign conflict can disrupt, abundant clean power like solar and wind, backed by storage like big batteries. Sunshine isn’t prone to price spikes, and wind power can’t be withheld. We should be accelerating renewable energy and storage so we’re more resilient to external shocks.”
The APLNG gas export project in Queensland will generate millions of tonnes of climate pollution, increasing climate risk for communities and undermining Australia’s climate targets by:
- Running 1,695 gas wells for up to 30 years – well past Australia’s 2050 net zero target.
- Generating up to 9 million tonnes of domestic climate pollution from extracting the gas – about the same as every local flight in Australia for a year.
- Releasing more than 110 million tonnes of climate pollution from burning the gas – more than every car, ute, truck, train, bus and domestic flight in Australia combined last year.
- Exporting most of the gas overseas, as Australia already produces more than enough gas to meet domestic demand without new supply.
Climate Council CEO Amanda McKenzie said: “The Government says it is committed to cutting climate pollution, but approving new coal and gas projects is like lighting another cigarette while you’re trying to quit smoking. You cannot cut climate pollution if you keep approving more projects.
“The climate maths doesn’t stack up. This project is approved until 2081 – more than three decades past the point where Australia is supposed to have finished the switch to clean energy. You cannot reach a balanced carbon budget by approving new long-lived gas fields.
“This is the Government’s 36th coal, oil and gas approval since 2022. After a summer marked by record heat and destructive flooding, communities are already living with the consequences of climate pollution. Approving new sources of pollution only increases the harm.”
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Richard Medhurst has released a brilliant analysis of the Iran war.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QiYU92vCrCU
“Iran War Turns Into Energy War | Iran Conflict Analysis & News | RICHARD MEDHURST”
It looks at who is benefitting from this ‘Energy war’. The short of it – the USA now controls and holds hostage most of the Earth’s natural gas and oil supply, and makes the case that this is not an accident.
As he says there is extortion, theft and then there is the USA.
Of course, in there is some opinion in his conclusions, but it is based on absolutely rock-solid evidence. This is compelling viewing.
In 2022, in the preliminaries to upcoming Federal election, the then opposition Labor party stated that it would stand up for Australians, our Country, our Population and our, and the global, Environment.
Labor became the new guvvm’nt, and our mr Albanese was announced as the new PM. All shiny new and raring to go and unbesmirched by coal dust and all of that XX chromosomes stuff and Australia was headed for a New Future.
Then reality set in and We the Voter realised that it was actually cheaper and easier to swap the doors around at Parliament than mint some Bran’Nu’Policee.
Same old same old has worked so bloody well for sooooo bloody long that nuthin’ really needs to change…..
Anyway.
Wew still have AUKUS. Why? Fucknows. But Fucknows INC has gone into receivership, and the details are a bit sketchy there, and anyway the septics are our mates. Always were. Always will be……
Then there were all of those pesky promises that Tanya had made pre poll. No MORE gas and coal and fracking and, welll…..”Now hang on Tanya. Let’s just wait until we get through 2025’s thing and we’ll have another look, and here’s a new portfolio with a wonderful view of trees and people and a coffee shop, and Muzza will do some of that lifting for you….
So here we are.
2026, and we might as well still have Scomo in the big chair.
Coal expansions up. TICK
Gas Fracking expanded. TICK
Oil expolration and export expanded. TICK
Renewables…… “Look. The Voters are doing their own rooftops on their own even though they get sfa for the fit’s they export, and if we offer them an extension on their mortgages for batteries we can get some more gas through, and the RBA will scrape their savings back in higher interest rates.” “What about an Eastcoast reserve of gas?” “I SAID NO” “Ok boss.” TICK
Three weeks ago, give or take a bomb or two, the mango madman and his string pullers went troppo in the Middle East, and as a result our Australian based gas producers are making EVEN MORE of a killing than they were before the box of “Whirled Piece” was nailed shut. They still pay the same bugger all in excise, tax or whatever pittance they feel might keep the Australian public quiet, but they are making piles on top of piles on top of piles as we sit here and fume.
Sen Pocock suggested a 25% tax on the WAR PROFITS that Woodside, Santos, BHP, et al are pulling together because of Dumpster Donny’s efforts against the Tehran based religious nutters (as opposed to religious nutters who are deemed to be ok despite their actions against both their own and other global citizens).
The tax would not be on all of the profits, just the bonus stuff that is being stashed away for that rainy period when fire ants and a few deep diving fish are the sole inhabitants of Planet Earth, but the response from the Gas producers was instant.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/mar/20/gas-windfall-gains-tax-australian-economy.
How do I go on the dark web? I want to send some ceo’s some fire ants, but I can’t afford the petrol to get into Brisbane.
Once there was an Australian Labor Party that stood up for the best interests of working voters and the environment.
Then we got Little Johnnie Howard’s COALition and his backwards unthinking policies to promote the best interests of foreign owned multinational corporations, black armband history, more Negative Gearing & cheaper CGT.
So in waltzes NO-GO-ALBO, Australia’s political replacement for a sleeping snail. Is there any wonder that the 35% of thinking voters in regional & remote electorates of both state & feral governments are turning to CREDIBLE LOCAL INDEPENDENTS to access the billions of dollars required to overcome the decades of expenditure restricted to the Sydney Basin and other state metro areas.
REGIONAL INDEPENDENTS GET THINGS DONE FOR THEIR COMMUNITIES.
Vote INDEPENDENT to give your kids the future they deserve in regional Australia.
Albo&C0 are a fucking disaster..the Greens and Independents are our only hope.If it’s not already too late.
After this complete fuckup I don’t understand how Albo and Co can ever contemplate showing their faces in public again!
https://johnmenadue.com/post/2023/10/nine-planetary-boundaries-set-the-limits-of-global-economic-freedom/
https://johnmenadue.com/post/2026/02/environment-agricultural-emissions-are-roasting-the-planet/?
https://johnmenadue.com/post/2025/11/mines-over-water-melbournes-largest-and-most-important-water-supply-catchment-at-risk/?
And why the hell are we looking for ‘market’s’ in Europe when its right at our back door? https://johnmenadue.com/post/2026/03/asias-energy-reliant-economies-face-existential-threat-from-prolonged-iran-war/?