Moratorium on petroleum exploration and petroleum production
17A Moratorium on petroleum exploration and petroleum production
Subject to this section, despite anything to the contrary in this Act or any condition of a relevant authority, the carrying out of any petroleum exploration or petroleum production during the moratorium period is not authorised under that authority.
Subsection (1) does not affect any requirement or obligation imposed on the holder of a relevant authority by or under this Act or under a condition of the authority during the moratorium period.
In addition, subsection (1) does not affect—
the authorisation of petroleum exploration or petroleum production during the moratorium period by the following production licences—
Production Licence 1 registered in the petroleum register on 1 March 1985;
Production Licence 2 registered in the petroleum register on 31 December 1990;
Production Licence 3 registered in the petroleum register on 10 May 1993;
Production Licence 11 registered in the petroleum register on 14 May 2002;
Production Licence 13 registered in the petroleum register on 7 February 2006; or
the authorisation under a production licence of petroleum storage in a reservoir that is carried out in accordance with a storage development plan approved under Division 7 of Part 5 that applies to the production licence.
Despite anything to the contrary in this Act, the Minister must not grant a relevant authority during the moratorium period.
In this section—
S. 17A(5) def. of moratorium period amended by No. 20/2020 s. 6.
moratorium period means the period beginning on the day on which the Resources Legislation Amendment (Fracking Ban) Act 2017 comes into operation and ending on 30 June 2021;
relevant authority means an exploration permit, a retention lease or a production licence.
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