Australian Opposition Leader Angus Taylor has pledged to accelerate approval processes for oil and gas projects, positioning faster regulatory decisions as central to addressing energy affordability and security concerns.
Speaking in Perth, Taylor outlined the coalition’s commitment to streamlining approvals, arguing that delays in project development are constraining supply and contributing to rising energy costs for households and businesses.
The proposal centres on reducing regulatory bottlenecks and restoring what the coalition sees as investor confidence in Australia’s energy sector.
The announcement comes amid ongoing debate over Australia’s energy mix and the role of fossil fuels during the transition to lower-emissions sources.
Taylor framed the policy as a pragmatic response to current global energy pressures, emphasising the need for reliable baseload energy while alternative technologies continue to scale.
Industry group Australian Energy Producers welcomed the commitment, with Chief Executive Samantha McCulloch endorsing the coalition’s focus on faster approvals and more predictable policy settings.
“Faster approvals are critical to ensuring Australia can unlock the oil and gas projects needed to support reliable and affordable energy, strengthen energy security and deliver long-term economic benefits,” McCulloch said.
Taylor’s proposal also includes revisiting recent regulatory changes that industry groups argue have slowed project timelines.
In particular, the coalition has criticised the exclusion of oil and gas developments from certain streamlined federal assessment pathways, suggesting such decisions have added uncertainty to investment planning.
“The decision last year to exclude oil and gas projects from the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act’s national interest test and streamlined assessment pathways was a mistake.
“As the current global energy crisis shows, Australia cannot afford to delay vital new oil and gas supply, or let the Greens dictate Australia’s energy policy.
“A faster, more efficient approvals system will help restore investor confidence, increase new supply, support lower energy costs and deliver more jobs and economic growth here in Australia.”
Beyond approvals reform, Taylor also signalled support for boosting upstream investment through the reinstatement of incentives aimed at early-stage exploration.
The coalition plans to bring back the Junior Minerals Exploration Incentive, expanding it to include targeted support for oil and gas projects.
McCulloch said such measures would play a key role in ensuring long-term supply.
“Encouraging investment in early-stage exploration is critical to unlocking the next generation of oil and gas supply and ensuring Australia can continue to meet future energy demand.”
Another element of the Coalition’s proposal is the introduction of a National Strategic Priority Projects designation.
This would aim to fast-track developments considered essential to Australia’s economic and energy systems, reducing the risk of delays caused by regulatory complexity.
“Australia has substantial undeveloped oil and gas resources, and we have the opportunity to unlock them — but it will only be realised with the right policy settings and investment certainty to bring new supply online,” she said.
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