A South Australian government decision to dump a fracking ban has been described as “deeply regrettable”.

But SA Premier Peter Malinauskas has described the 2018 ban as a “folly” and said shift was needed amid the current fuel and gas crisis.

Legislation will be introduced into state parliament next week to remove the moratorium on hydraulic fracture stimulation on SA’s Limestone Coast.

Malinauskas and state Treasurer Tom Koutsantonis said removing the ban imposed under a former Liberal government could unlock new gas resources for SA.

Fracking is controversial amid fears of its potential effect on underground water sources. The south-east of SA, whose dominant industries are farming and winemaking, is the only part of the state where it is not permitted.

The 2018 ban followed intense lobbying from the local community.

Limestone Coast Grape and Wine Council public officer and a leading name in Coonawarra wine, Pete Bissell, said Thursday’s decision was “extremely disappointing”.

“Fracking is not the answer here. To jeopardise the sustainable farming future of the region, for projects of this kind, is deeply regrettable,” he said.

“The wine industry, like other industries, will be deeply affected by this decision.”

Georgina Woods, the acting national coordinator for conservation group Lock The Gate – a group heavily involved in the 2010s push to ban fracking – said the announcement was a “kick in the guts to the 95 per cent of Limestone Coast residents who … declared that they wanted their region to stay gas-field free”.

“Fracking is the most environmentally destructive way to extract gas – it’s hugely water-intensive and pumps vast quantities of harmful chemicals into the landscape. Unleashing it on the Limestone Coast would put precious groundwater, fertile farmland and food security at direct risk,” Woods said.

“Premier Malinauskas has forgotten that the fracking ban was put in place in response to popular rejection of unconventional gas drilling. Using the global energy crisis as a cover to unwind protections for farmland and water is not going to wash.”

But South Australian Chamber of Mines and Energy CEO Catherine Mooney said the decision “restores science-based decision-making and puts South Australia back on the map as a state that welcomes responsible investment”.

“South Australia has world-class environmental standards and a very rigorous regulatory framework. Allowing those safeguards to operate as they’re intended, rather than imposing blanket bans, is the right path,” she said.

The Limestone Coast is the only part of SA where fracking is banned.

The state government hopes the move will increase its gas reserves. It comes after a deal struck earlier this year for Santos to supply 20 petajoules of gas each year for 10 years from 2030 – about a third of SA’s entire gas use.

Malinauskas said that “science and economics should dictate energy policy, not politics” and that it was a “folly by the former government to lock up a potential future gas supply in one part of our state”.

“The Iran fuel crisis is giving all Australians a window into what happens when we fail to take our energy security and sovereignty seriously,” he said.

Malinauskas stressed Thursday’s shift “does not approve fracking”, rather “it removes a blanket ban and ensures that any future proposal must meet rigorous scientific, environmental and community scrutiny”.

“Groundwater protection is non-negotiable. If those standards cannot be met, the project will not proceed,” he said.

Koutsantonis said the Liberals “must now join the Malinauskas government in a bipartisan effort” to “unlock new gas potential and safeguard energy security”.

But opposition energy and mining spokesperson Ben Hood said residents deserved “genuine consultation before the government pushes ahead with any repeal”.

“The south-east is home to prime agricultural land, critical aquifers and regional industries that rely on long-term environmental certainty,” Hood said.

“The government should not be rushing this process without first listening to local landholders, councils, businesses and residents who will be directly impacted.”

The Conservation Council of South Australia’s CEO Kirsty Bevan said the move was a “step backwards”, noting the potential risk of fracking to underground water sources.

“When we are really starting to feel the full effects of climate change, moving backwards is just not the right move,” she said.

“It is just a shocking decision.”

Republished from InDaily