Thought leadership was the name of the game in March, with the Centre's senior leaders prominently sharing their expertise after a confluence of energy uncertainty at home and abroad peaked public and political interest in the sector.
Nowhere was this more evident than at the Australian Domestic Gas Outlook Conference and the Roundtable on the Queensland Energy Roadmap, which saw Centre senior leaders weigh in and guide critical conversations around Australia's energy future.
Australian Domestic Gas Outlook Conference
Centre Director Assoc Prof Katherine Witt and Emeritus Prof Andrew Garnett continued the Centre's tradition of having a strong presence at the Australian Domestic Gas Outlook (ADGO) conference, joining energy leaders from around the country to discuss many recent, momentous gas-related developments.
Assoc Prof Witt chaired ADGO's Day 2 proceedings, which featured an eclectic mix of speakers from regulators, industry associations, energy and infrastructure companies, exploration projects, downstream gas users and finance. The numerous gas-related developments of the past year, from the announcement of an East Coast domestic gas reservation scheme and talks of a ‘windfall tax’ to conflict in the Middle East, provided ample material for discussion and more than a bit of newsworthy commentary. However, despite the variety of voices at the event, there was consensus around several points, as summarised by Assoc Prof Witt in her closing remarks:
- ‘Gas still matters’ – speakers described gas as an important contributor to the Australian way of life and economy, as increasingly important for firming the electricity grid and for the many industries and supply chains that rely on it for feedstock. Recent geopolitics highlight the role of gas in society.
- General acknowledgement of shortcomings in the current gas market - although these are defined differently.
- A domestic gas reservation policy sits somewhere in the solution space, but there are many and varied implications to be considered.
- Current levels of uncertainty are significantly affecting decision-making for both producers and consumers and stable, long-term settings are needed to restore investment confidence in Australian natural gas and unlock new supply.
Emeritus Prof Garnett also contributed insights, cautioning the audience to think carefully about what is meant by references to “new gas”, reflecting on the habit of speakers to refer to “new gas” in relation to different aspects of the gas sector from new investment, new wells, to new pipelines and connections.
In addition to contributing to a critical conversation at a critical time, ADGO was a chance to connect with the Centre's wider network of collaborators. Assoc Prof Witt and Emeritus Prof Garnett had the opportunity to catch-up with Industry Adjuncts Prof Rick Wilkinson, Prof Geoff Bongers, Prof Xingjin Wang; as well as our industry partners, Australia Pacific LNG, Santos Ltd and Arrow Energy.
Government/ATSE Roundtable on the Queensland Energy Roadmap
Assoc Prof Witt and Emeritus Prof Garnett were also invited to join government, industry and academic leaders at a more 'state-focused' event - the ‘Roundtable on the Queensland Energy Roadmap’.
The Roundtable was hosted at The University of Queensland and organised by the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences & Engineering (ATSE) with the Queensland Government. The event featured presentations and open discussions that explored how Queensland can best deliver a reliable, affordable and low-emissions energy system, with particular reference to the Queensland Energy Roadmap, released by the Crisafulli government in late 2025.
An overview of the Roadmap was followed by three sessions covering areas of critical importance to the future energy system: ‘Session 2 - Funding, Planning, Community’, ‘Session 3 - Energy and Infrastructure Challenges’, and ‘Session 4 - Storage Opportunities’. Assoc Prof Witt presented research and insights on lessons learned from the record-breaking development of Queensland's coal seam gas industry, while Prof Garnett presented energy systems modelling and projected role of gas in Session 3. Their presense at the event fulfiled a key criteria - including academic voices in a conversation on energy to help ensure research priorities are aligned with both industry innovation and government objectives.
In addition to Assoc Prof Witt and Emeritus Prof Garnett, attendees also heard from a fantastic line-up of speakers:
- The Hon Ian Macfarlane
- Dr Kimberley Swords FTSE ACC
- Paul Tacon
- Merryn York
- Prof Paul Simshauser
- Peta Harwood GAICD
- Gerard Coggan
- Andrew Grabski
- Prof Tapan Saha
- James Purtill
- Dr Xingjin Wang
- Adjunct Prof Bruce Leslie FTSE
The Queensland Energy Roadmap was released by the state government in late 2025 and sets forth a plan to build an energy system that is affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy. You can read more about it here.
This recap is just a glimpse of the work underway at the Gas & Energy Transition Research Centre. If you'd like to learn more about our research or our capabilities, contact us here.
