'Wild Thing': The Challenges of Regulatory Change under Wild Rivers

摘要

In late 2011 the Queensland State Government of Australia declared the Cooper Creek Basin in South West Queensland to be a Wild River Area under the Wild River Act 2005. The Wild River Area covers a significant proportion of Santos’ current tenements and future development interests in the area. The Wild Rivers Declaration is a highly prescriptive regulatory regime that sets out significant restrictions which would detrimentally impact on existing operations and future oil and gas development opportunities, including emerging coal seam and shale gas prospects in the proposed declaration area. It includes general prohibitions on certain activities across extensive areas of channel country and the imposition of setbacks for activities in proximity to watercourses.