The WA Government has released a new policy and guidance providing greater clarity and guidance around the use of Crown land for large-scale hydrogen projects.
Hydrogen Industry Minister Alannah MacTiernan shared the the policy and guidance with industry stakeholders at the Australian Hydrogen Conference (West) 2022.
As WA's renewable hydrogen industry continues to grow, the WA Government anticipates that access to Crown land will only increase.
The Renewable Hydrogen Guidance: Land Tenure for Large Scale Renewable Hydrogen Projects provides guidance to proponents of large-scale hydrogen projects regarding State Government decision making processes with respect to gaining land for both the investigation and feasibility studies page and the final project implementation stage.
Proponents of large-scale hydrogen projects need to consider a number of factors when developing a proposal, including the existing land tenure over the proposed site, underlying interest holders of the land, including native title rights and interests, stakeholder interest, and the legislative framework for gaining short and long-term access to the site.
The Renewable Hydrogen Policy: Consideration of Highest and Best Use sets out a preferred, transparent and timely process for managing situations where competing projects are proposed for the same area of land, and the use of a Highest and Best Use Assessment in these cases.
The development of the policy and guidance was led by the WA Renewable Hydrogen Ministerial Taskforce, with input from the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety, Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage and Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation. The Western Australian Renewable Hydrogen Council was also consulted in the drafting process.
"We are very conscious we need to help renewable hydrogen proponents navigate land tenure arrangements and to make those processes fit for purpose," says Minister MacTiernan.
"The new policy and guidance released today are useful documents for any large-scale hydrogen project proponent oping to access and use Crown land."
The policy and guidance are another step in the WA Government's commitment to the diversification and decarbonisation of the State's economy, especially the transitioning to a future low-carbon economy and reaching net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
