Engagement and transparency
NOPSEMA continues to strive to increase community confidence in the offshore petroleum regulatory regime by improving stakeholder consultation and transparency. This is being achieved through disclosing more information to the public, targeting regulatory work at areas of poor consultation practice, and increasing avenues for community input to better understand its views.
Community and Environment Reference Group (CERG)
NOPSEMA established a Community and Environment Reference Group in March 2018 as an avenue for receiving community views on our performance in regulating offshore petroleum environmental management. See the Terms of Reference - Community and Environment Reference Group - 2025.
Members of the group participate as individuals, rather than representatives of their employer or organisation, and contribute their experience and perspectives in a range of areas that interact with offshore petroleum environmental regulation. These areas include:
- cultural heritage and First Nations communities
- commercial and / or recreational fishing
- conservation and environmental advocacy
- regional and local voices
- tourism and small business
- marine science and research
The Community Environment Reference Group is chaired by the Chief Executive Officer of NOPSEMA with members comprising:
- Robert Carne (Darwin, NT) [Perspectives: cultural heritage; First Nations communities; commercial fishing; public policy and government functioning; north region]
- Kerry Churnside (Pilbara, WA) [Perspectives: cultural heritage; First Nations communities; north-west region; oil and gas exposure]
- Bernadette Cullinane (Perth, WA) [Perspectives: public policy and government functioning; oil and gas exposure]
- Dr Stuart Field (Perth, WA) [Perspectives: First Nations communities; marine science and research; conservation and environmental protection; public policy and government; emergency management and disaster preparedness; north-west region]
- Danielle Hartshorn (Perth, WA) [Perspectives: recreational fishing; conservation and environmental protection; public policy and government functioning; oil and gas exposure]
- Carol Montero-Lopez (Perth, WA) [Perspectives: recreational fishing, conservation and environmental protection, public policy and government functioning, north-west, south-west marine bioregions]
- Matt Pember (Perth, WA) [Perspectives: commercial / recreational fishing; marine science and research; conservation and environmental protection, public policy and government functioning; north-west, south-west region]
- Dr Ronald (Doc) Reynolds (Esperance, WA) [Perspectives: cultural heritage; First Nations communities; marine science and research; marine tourism and recreation; south-east region]
- Sander Scheffers (Perth, WA) [Perspectives: marine science and research; conservation and environmental protection; north-west region; oil and gas exposure]
- Sean-Paul Stephens (Roebourne, WA) [Perspectives: cultural heritage; First Nations communities; conservation and environmental protection; public policy and government functioning; north-west region]
- Piers Verstegen (Perth, WA) [Perspectives: cultural heritage; First Nations communities; conservation and environmental protection; public policy and government functioning; emergency management and disaster preparedness; north-west region]
- Lisa Walton (Clayfield, Qld) [Perspectives: commercial fishing; marine science and research; conservation and environmental protection; public policy and government functioning; east region]
You can find meeting records and reports under Community and environment reference group (CERG) Documents below.
If you would like to contact the Community Environment Reference Group with an issue or some feedback for the group to discuss with NOPSEMA, you can email cerg@nopsema.gov.au.
CERG meeting records
Completed: Transparency Taskforce
In July 2017, NOPSEMA established the Transparency Taskforce to align efforts on transparency initiatives with other jurisdictions and to assist the industry in identifying solutions to common issues. The Taskforce was overseen by a Steering Committee of Commonwealth and state/territory government agencies and petroleum industry and community representatives.
With a view to amending the Environment Regulations to increase transparency, building community confidence in the offshore petroleum regulatory regime and reducing the size and complexity of environment plans the Taskforce delivered its intended outcomes through six concurrent work streams.
In December 2019, The Taskforce agreed that the Terms of Reference (see link below) had been largely met and the Taskforce had delivered on its intended outcomes. The transparency reforms have not only contributed to improving community confidence in offshore petroleum environmental approvals process, but have added benefits such as lifting industry performance through facilitating the sharing of knowledge, assisting with community acceptance and building a better understanding of petroleum activities offshore.
The Taskforce concluded as a formal established body in April 2020, however NOPSEMA remains committed to working with industry, government, fishing stakeholders and the broader community to promote open and transparent stakeholder consultation as well as coexistence in the marine environment.
| Title | Type | Size | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Memorandum of Understanding between NOPSEMA and ASIC | 4.05 MB | 26/05/2023 | |
| Terms of Reference - Transparency Taskforce - Rev 4 - February 2018 | 575.82 KB | 20/03/2018 |
Completed: Stakeholder engagement and transparency work program
NOPSEMA identified through regulatory research that poor environmental consultation practices in the offshore petroleum industry can lead to negative impacts on individuals, communities, and organisations. NOPSEMA also received feedback that the current transparency of its decision-making processes and practices was not meeting community expectations. In August 2015, NOPSEMA announced a Stakeholder engagement and transparency work program to address these issues.
A total of 18 initiatives were identified through the work program to address issues associated with consultation and transparency. Of these initiatives, 16 have been completed including enhancements to the NOPSEMA website, publication of additional information on environment plans, increased community engagement and publication of new guidance and information brochures.
NOPSEMA determined that the two remaining initiatives should be taken over by the Transparency Taskforce for further development. On 31 July 2017, NOPSEMA officially closed the work program. The Final Report - Stakeholder engagement and transparency work program (see link below) provides details of the completed work program, as well as a summary of engagement with stakeholders.
| Title | Type | Size | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Final Report - Stakeholder engagement and transparency work program - August 2017 | 159.73 KB | 09/08/2017 |