Maritime Union of Australia. (2025). Submission to the Victorian Legislative Council Environment and Planning Committee: Inquiry into the decommissioning of oil and gas infrastructure
The Victorian Parliament established the Inquiry into the Decommissioning of Oil and Gas Infrastructure in response to the scale and proximity of aging offshore petroleum assets in Victorian waters, particularly in the Gippsland and Otway basins, and growing concern about environmental risk, long‑term liability and worker safety as these assets reach end of life.
The MUA tendered a detailed submission to the Victorian Legislative Council Environment and Planning Committee. This was supplemented by briefings to the Committee and oral evidence at a public hearing.
The union argues that decommissioning must be considered as an urgent industrial governance task, not a discretionary administrative process.
Although offshore regulation is largely administered at the Commonwealth level, Victoria holds significant responsibilities as a Joint Authority for title surrender and for onshore processing, waste management, ports, environmental protection and workplace safety, making the state a key decision‑maker.
We emphasised strict enforcement of polluter‑pays principles, verified financial assurance, full removal of infrastructure, long‑term monitoring of wells and seabed integrity, and calls for a Victorian decommissioning framework aligned with circular‑economy objectives, strong worker protections, public transparency, and genuine partnership with through Sea Country governance and the Victorian Treaty process.