Federal Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane and his NSW counterpart Anthony Roberts on Tuesday unveiled a $3 million grant towards developing a strategic research alliance with CSIRO and industry to expand research on the social and environmental impacts of the onshore gas industry.

The funding will help CSIRO extend the Gas Industry Social Environmental Research Alliance (GISERA) to focus on the benefits and risks of gas development in NSW.

GISERA was founded in 2011 to research environmental, social and economic impacts and challenges that the onshore gas industry presents in Queensland.

Since then, GISERA has studied the effects of CSG in Queensland and has made its findings available to the residents of gas development regions.

Macfarlane said science was at the centre of Australian industry policy and was fundamental to the continued development of the country’s major economic sectors.

“It is particularly important to the development of our new industries, and this project will ensure communities have access to the highest standard of science-based research about the development of the CSG industry,” he said.

“The expansion of GISERA into NSW is a key component of the Australian Government’s Domestic Gas Strategy. This reinforces the Government’s commitment to ensuring policy decisions are based on comprehensive scientific data and expertise.”

Macfarlane conceded that the issues associated with the gas industry were complex and sensitive, but it was still important to understand the regional impacts of gas development based on local data and characteristics.

“GISERA’s NSW specific research will empower communities to assess and form their own views on the development of onshore gas based on independent scientific information that is relevant to community concerns,” Macfarlane said.

“GISERA’s governance model is designed to provide for and protect research independence and transparency and has worked very effectively in Queensland.”

Greens MP Jeremy Buckingham hopeful that his bill will pass through NSW’s Legislative Council today, with a few Labor amendments, with the support of Labor and “a couple of small Right-wing parties”

“There was a lot of rhetoric during the election campaign, from all political persuasions, over which party would best protect land and water from coal seam gas. This bill gives all parties the chance to stop coal seam gas in NSW,” Buckingham told Green Left Weekly.

The Bill, introduced in May, seeks to amend the 1991 Act to ban CSG exploration and production and other unconventional gas in the state, and ensure the existing CSG production areas at Camden and Narrabri are not expanded.

It also seeks to ensure that existing petroleum licenses can be cancelled without compensation.

“The Bill prevents the Minister from granting new, or renewing existing, petroleum titles relating to coal seam gas but it does not directly cancel existing petroleum licenses, although it renders them useless,” Buckingham’s briefing note on the bill says.

“This is done by reinstating the public interest test which was introduced by the Government in the Mining and Petroleum Legislation Amendment (Public Interest) Act 2013, but was subsequently repealed by the Mining and Petroleum Legislation Amendment Act 2014, with support from the Labor party.”

Roberts said GISERA would ensure that debate on the establishment of CSG in NSW was based on facts, “not misconceptions”

“This will be independent scientific information that can be presented to the public at large,” Roberts said.

While the Australian Pipelines and Gas Association welcomed the research grant, CEO Cheryl Cartwright warned that any further delay must be avoided in the development of gas reserves.

“While significant scientific studies, including by the NSW Chief Scientist, have found that developing gas reserves in NSW can be undertaken safely in a clear legislative framework with high engineering standards, this new work by the CSIRO should further improve knowledge and understanding,” Cartwright said.

“We must hope that this is the last delay in the development of Australia’s gas reserves as NSW needs to begin increasing its own gas supply to help counter the expected supply shortage as gas exports expand.

“Gas needs to be developed in NSW to meet the challenge of supply, and to help reduce carbon emissions from electricity generation.”

NSW imports 95% of its gas, which Cartwright said would continue in a market that was being challenged by the increasing demand for gas for export.