The Australian Petroleum Production & Exploration Association (APPEA) has criticized Western Australia's Labor Party after it announced intentions to place a ban on fracking if it won the next election.

The party adopted an anti-gas fracking attitude across the state over the weekend during the Australia Labor Party state conference. This means that, if elected in 2017, the Labor Party would hold a public inquiry into fracking, and place a ban on any further fracking development.

The ban would hold until it was shown that fracking doesn’t compromise the environment, groundwater, public health or contribute adversely to climate change.

“Western Australia Labor condemns the Barnett government's risky and reckless approach to shale and tight gas fracking, which is not supported by the Western Australia community, and is not based on rigorous environmental assessment or adequate regulation,” the Labor Party said.

Western Australia Labor said it supports “strong, enforceable measures to protect groundwater aquifers from pollution, contamination or depletion by industrial activities including the oil and gas industry.”

Stedman Ellis, COO for the Western Region at APPEA, said a moratorium would prevent the exploration activity needed to encourage onshore gas investment.

“It is disappointing that Labor’s state conference has chosen to ignore the clear evidence which shows that hydraulic fracturing is a safe, well-understood technology that has been used in Western Australia for decades,” Ellis said in an Aug. 29 release.

According to Ellis, numerous studies here in Australia and overseas have shown that any risks can be safely managed with proper regulation and good industry practices.

“Importantly, the experience in Queensland over the past five years demonstrates the importance of onshore gas projects to regional communities and farmers,” he said.

Ellis said Labor’s call for another inquiry also made no sense when a two-year inquiry into hydraulic fracturing by a Western Australia Parliamentary Committee was expected to deliver its final report later this year.

He also warned moratoriums and unnecessary inquiries would not only damage the industry development, but would also tarnish Western Australia’s reputation as an attractive destination of oil and gas investment.

Labor’s stance on onshore gas development was also met with criticism from shadow resources minister Gary Gray.

“While I commend Adrian Evans and Andrew Dobbs for the effort that has gone into developing this amendment, I do not support it,” Gray said.

“Fracking has been successfully and safely used in Australia for over 50 years. I do not believe that there is a need for Western Australia to place a moratorium on the use of fracking technology.”

Gray backed proper, science-based regulation as key to underpinning the development of the unconventional gas industry in Western Australia.

The Conservation Council of Western Australia said it supported an Australia Labor Party-led public inquiry into fracking, saying it would show that gas fracking cannot be done safely without major consequences for the environment, groundwater, communities and the climate.

Lauren Barrett can be reached at lbarrett@hartenergy.com.