Council
17 January, 2024
Shire approves gas storage in Timboon
CORANGAMITE Shire Council gave the green light for gas storage at a Timboon West site.
Planning co-ordinator Melanie Oborne said the planning permit application for the use and development of land for petroleum exploration and petroleum production, and the display of business identification signage.
She said council received three objections to the application.
Objections were in relation to:
Land use and development should not be supported on principle (fossil fuels verses renewables);
Environmental impacts and risks;
Amenity impacts; and
Animal welfare.
Ms Oborne said the wellsite would support the increased storage capacity of the Iona Gas Storage Facility and associated off-site assets.
“(It) will help to support reliable and secure gas supply to the East Coast energy market during periods of high demand,” she said.
“The proposal seeks to integrate with an exiting gas processing and storage network which is of state and national significance.”
Coastal Ward councillor Jamie Vogels was scathing of the impact of the objections raised against the proposal.
“The submissions against are from afar and have naught to do with this permit at a cost at our ratepayers, I’m guessing somewhere around $5000 in extra work for our staff to bring this to a council meeting because of the three submitters,” he said.
“All these submissions can be summarised and they are anti-gas as a transition fuel to net zero.
“The next time you want to take this up, take this up with your state government, take it up with your federal government or potentially glue yourself to your screen.
“Don’t put the burden on our ratepayers because it’s not within our brief.”
Cr Geraldine Conheady agreed with Cr Vogels and said the permit was about “storage of natural gas, it’s not new gas”.
“I’m very confident in the officer’s assessment on this one,” she said.
Cr Jo Beard said gas storage was integral, “not only at a state, but national level”.