**4.1 Australia**

In Australia the federal government shares jurisdiction with the state and territorial governments for both onshore and offshore geological sequestration (out to the 3-nautical mile limit). The federal government has sole jurisdiction on the continental shelf beyond this limit.

In June 2011, the Australian government approved the "Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage (Greenhouse Gas Injection and Storage) Regulations 2011". These regulations, issued under the authority granted by the Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Act, approved by Parliament in 2006, basically cover the following interrelated elements:


In July 2011, the Australian government presented its Clean Energy Future Plan, which calls for a tax of Au\$ 23 (about US \$25) per tonne of CO2 starting in July 2012. This taxation includes all activities that emit more than 25,000 tonnes of CO2 per year. It does not include emissions from light vehicles and farming activities. To maintain the country's industrial competitiveness, steelmakers, coal miners and electricity generators will receive compensations. An energy security plan will assure sufficient electricity generation in the face of possible problems, since 75% of the country power is generated by coal-fired plants. Tax cuts for consumers are also planned to offset possible increases in the cost of living due to the CO2 emission tax. The adoption of this tax was the fruit of suggestions by companies from the coal mining sector, which in 2010 proposed that the government adopts a CO2 emission tax along with a requirement that part of the revenue be allocated to develop clean technologies to permit the companies to remain competitive in the global market.
