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. 

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.

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.