Hunter Domestic Gas Supply at an All Time Low

BY LAUREN KEMPE

There will be a shortfall in domestic gas supply in the Hunter, after the ACCC'S energy interim report found the east coast's shortage will be three times larger next year than previously forecast.

Several politicians have said a domestic reservation policy is not necessary as Australia has enough gas, but a Hunter businessman says the government should be prioritising the domestic market.

Weston Aluminium Managing Director Garbis Simonian says it's crucial a bipartisan law on domestic gas energy is established at state and federal levels.

'Both state and federal governments are all accusing each other, and passing the blame. What we want is politicians to sit down around a table, both Labor and Liberal, and in the bipartisan fashion decide and work on a National Energy Policy. The economy is suffering, jobs are suffering, families are suffering and it's not good enough.'

Mr Simonian says higher gas prices drive up electricity prices, and the current situation is not sustainable.

'Now this is just common sense that any country or any state applies the gas and energy it finds, to satisfying the domestic market first, and then if there's a surplus, you can export it.

'All countries in the world give their domestic market a priority when it comes to gas, Australia is the only country that doesn't have a Domestic National Interest Policy.'

Image Caption: https://www.google.com.au/search?rlz=1C1GGRV_enAU751AU751&biw=1141&bih=859&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=gas+shortage+aus&oq=gas+shortage+aus&gs_l=psy-ab.3..0i24k1l4.7788.8589.0.9221.4.4.0.0.0.0.192.371.0j2.2.0.dummy_maps_web_fallback...0...1.1.64.psy-ab..2.2.371...0.0.X3yhoOA7P98#imgrc=9Saiqg1TO6FgfM:

Narrabri to Hunter gas project in the pipeline

BY JESSICA ROUSE

The construction of a $500 million Hunter Gas Pipeline is ready to begin, but it's all dependent on the approval of the Santos Narrabri Gas Project.

The Narrabri Gas Project will pave the way for a pipeline to run from Narrabri to Newcastle guaranteeing the domestic market with a continuous gas supply, cheaper.

Hunter Gas Pipeline Managing Director Garbis Simonian believes it is ridiculous gas users in NSW pay double what overseas buyers do, with customers in Japan, China, Malaysia, and Korea paying half the price of Australians.

"Isn't that a ridiculous situation? What we want to do is make sure the gas from Narrabri comes to Newcastle and Sydney and is not hijacked back to Queensland and the way to do that is to use this pipeline," said Garbis Simonian.

Hunter Gas Pipeline say Queensland LNG projects are "hoovering up gas to preserve their own capital" shifting the commercial risk of their investments onto Australian consumers.

The Narrabri Gas project has the potential to supply up to 50 per cent of NSW with natural gas and bring essential gas to Newcastle which can be fed out to the domestic market.

"The Narrabri gas project is before the state government for approval and finally that's moving and the faster the state government can approve it and the fields are developed then we're ready to build the pipeline with Jemena and we can do it in a matter of twelve months," said Garbis Simonian. 

Without the fast tracking of the project, Garbis Simonian warns 300, 000 jobs could be lost in gas-reliant manufacturing throughout the state.

Energy Crisis forum for Newcastle today

BY JESSICA ROUSE

Resolving Australia's energy crisis, could start close to home in Newcastle, with a forum today to discuss the future of gas energy production in the region.

The forum will be held at Fort Scratchley hosted by the Newcastle branch of the Australian Institute of Energy.

Weston Energy CEO Garbis Simonian and Hunter MP Joel Fitzgibbon will also participate, championing the idea of gas playing a major role in the Hunter's economy into the future, as the coal industry fades out.

Image theaustralian.com.au

"Our coal fired generators are reaching the end of their commercial life and we need to plan for what the period after that looks like. We need a transition to renewable's and I think gas is the answer and we need to have a debate about getting more gas out of the ground," said Joel Fitzgibbon.

The forum will be just the start of stimulating debate about the Hunter's own energy crisis, with many more discussions planned for the future.

"Well I hope to have rolling discussions about these issues over the course of the next six months. We need to have these conversations because if we don't find some answers then our lights are going to be turning off, we won't have heating for our homes and our manufacturing plants will be closing down. That's a real crisis," said Joel Fitzgibbon.

Other guest speakers today include Jim Snow, Executive Director of Oakley Greenwood and Adjunct Professor UQ, as well as Alister Alford, formerly Acting general Manager of Marketing for Delta Electricity.

Gas for the Hunter

BY RACHEL STORER

The gas-fired power plant at Colongra, on the Central Coast. Image: dailytelegraph.com.au

After the recent power crisis in South Australia, US Energy giant Tesla has stepped in to offer a 100-mega-watt battery which has been met with criticisms.

Managing Director of Weston Aluminium, Garbis Simoninan says that batteries are an expensive, ineffective answer to the power crisis and that focus needs to be on Hunter industries that are already being hit hard by rising gas and electricity prices.

"Desperate people are looking for silver bullets and there is no quick answer. If you really wanted to solve the crisis in South Australia with batteries you'd need at least 30 or 40 of them but that is very expensive and not cost effective."

Mr Simoninan says that a 100-mega-watt battery only lasts for an hour which doesn't solve the problem of prolonged power shortages or address the fact that Australia has some of the highest energy and gas prices in the world.

He believes the answer is gas-fired power plants, which means the Hunter needs a localised gas supply.

"New South Wales at the moment imports 95% of its gas from other states. We need to become independent and develop our own gas which can be done from sites such as Narrabri," Mr Simoninan said.

He thinks that the Hunter need to weigh up the environmental costs with the overall benefits to industries and homes.

"The two issues are fundamentally fracking and the water table. As far as the water table is concerned there is technology and regulations to manage any issues.

"Queensland has been extracting gas for 15 years and there have been no environmental disasters. If they can do it successfully so can New South Wales," Mr Simoninan said.

Ultimately Mr Simoninan warns that unless the Hunter region gets its own gas supply businesses will close and there will be mass unemployment.