Rethinking Australian CSG transitions in participatory contexts of local social conflict, community engagement, and shifts towards cleaner energy

Abstract

In public participatory contexts, at a time of policy crisis, this paper explores the enduring contestation, and associated policy responses to such contestation, regarding controversial coal seam gas (CSG) well siting in Australia's CSG development States of Queensland, New South Wales, and Victoria. Participatory deficits are well identified in the Australian literature on the “CSG debate” and subsequently in our analysis of (participatory-associated) policy responses to the CSG debate. Highlighted are concerns around inadequate community engagement involving inequitable power relations between communities and CSG companies, CSG project information deficits and community disrespect, and deficit State CSG regulations. The findings show that policy responses have been more supportive of CSG developers and development than “challenger” issues. Consequently, enduring local social conflict has resulted, and overall, transitions to cleaner energy pathways to meet climate change policy obligations have become “messy”. Overall, CSG development reflects a significantly dysfunctional, “decoupled”, socio-technical energy development system, especially regarding social concerns. Accordingly, participatory remedies are posed on how policymakers can better engage with the concerns of communities and citizens in the broader context of multi-functional and multi-stakeholder energy/landscape conflicts, to better address these conflicts and ensure more effective cleaner energy transitions.