Originally published by Brittney Levinson of Financial Review
20.04.2026
The Queensland and Albanese federal governments are at loggerheads over who should make the next move to fast-track exploration of oil reserves west of Brisbane that proponents say could protect Australia from fuel shocks like the one caused by the war in Iran.
Federal Environment Minister Murray Watt on Monday accused the Queensland government of being “all talk and no action” and said it was completely in the state’s control to speed up approvals of the Taroom Trough oil field.
Meanwhile, Queensland Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie dismissed “smart alec remarks from [Energy Minister] Chris Bowen and Murray Watt” over recent days and insists he is waiting for the federal government to make the next move.
The Taroom Trough 300 kilometres west of Brisbane is being touted as Australia’s first significant new oil province in 50 years. Queensland’s Liberal-National Party government wants the Albanese government to help it fast-track the approvals process to avoid years of delays and shield the state against a repeat of the current fuel crisis.
The federal government has signalled its openness to a streamlined approvals process under its overhauled Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, but says it is waiting for further information from Queensland.
Both sides acknowledge there have been discussions between the federal environment department and the Queensland Coordinator-General, who leads the state’s major infrastructure projects.
Watt wrote to Premier David Crisafulli on Friday urging him to provide documentation “without delay” that would allow the federal government to consider “basic questions” about the project.
This included the number and depth of gas or oil wells being proposed, any potential impacts on nationally protected matters and the route of pipelines required to transport the oil produced.
The minister had not received a reply as of Monday afternoon.
On Friday, Bleijie insisted he had given the federal government everything it needed to assess the project and had directed the coordinator-general to declare a works regulation for Taroom Trough, which would create a legal obligation to progress works on the project.
“Nothing, though, is stopping the federal government completing their work right now, behind the scenes, like we have to do,” Bleijie said.
Australian Energy Producers chief executive Samantha McCulloch said the trough was a significant oil resource that could help reduce reliance on imports. Faster, more efficient approvals would be critical to “unlocking” basins like Taroom, she said.
“We need all levels of government working together to fix the approvals system,” McCulloch said.
“Carving oil and gas projects out of streamlined reforms under the EPBC was a missed opportunity, and it makes even less sense now given the impacts of the global energy crisis.”
Fossil fuel projects were excluded from the national interest exemption under the new EPBC Act, which was the result of an 11th-hour deal Labor made with the Greens to get the bill over the line in late 2025.
The Crisafulli government wants the carve-out to be reversed and allow fossil fuel projects to be considered under the national interest exemption.
The carve-out will likely be one element the Queensland Productivity Commission will interrogate during its 12-month inquiry into the EPBC Act, announced last week.
The results of the inquiry will inform the state’s discussions with the federal government about a new bilateral agreement, which allows governments to assess projects together and reduce duplication.
On Monday, Watt told ABC Radio Brisbane the Queensland government could use its existing bilateral agreement “right now to fast-track this project if they wanted to”.
“Once they sign a new bilateral, if they choose to, that incorporates the new reforms, it will be faster still,” Watt said.
“And the indications we’re getting from the Queensland government are nowhere near as enthusiastic as other state governments.”
Watt urged the premier to reconsider the 12-month inquiry, saying it could significantly delay Queensland’s opportunity to speed-up approvals for the project.