Disclaimer: The images in the roadmap do not necessarily represent facilities being decommissioned at the time of publication
Australia’s Offshore Resources Decommissioning Roadmap is the government’s plan to create a domestic decommissioning industry.
Oil and gas titleholders will spend an estimated $60 billion to decommission offshore infrastructure over the next 30–50 years. This roadmap shows how we can grow our decommissioning industry to maximise the benefits for the Australian economy and our environment, and support a Future Made in Australia.
The roadmap sets out a path for Australia to:
- maximise the amount of decommissioning activity that happens domestically
- improve the efficiency and transparency of planned decommissioning activities
- grow Australia’s industrial capability in decommissioning and materials management
- create safe, high-quality jobs to service a growing decommissioning industry
- ensure that industry undertakes its decommissioning obligations in a timely, safe and environmentally responsible way.
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Building a domestic decommissioning industry is part of a Future Made in Australia. Creating this industry will build on Australia’s strengths to support new jobs for our skilled offshore workforce, develop domestic capabilities, and attract investment for Australian businesses across the decommissioning value chain. A domestic decommissioning industry will also play a part in Australia’s transition to net zero.
Decommissioning is the final stage in the offshore oil and gas production lifecycle. It involves the safe and environmentally responsible removal of offshore oil and gas facilities and their associated infrastructure. To help build a domestic decommissioning industry in Australia, we have created a roadmap that focuses on 5 key areas of opportunity:
- Ensuring a regulatory framework that protects the environment and attracts investment
- Partnering with First Nations people and local communities
- Optimising infrastructure opportunities and availability
- Supporting new jobs and investment in recycling and waste management
- Building a skilled, safe and diverse offshore decommissioning workforce.
To support the roadmap, the government formed an Offshore Decommissioning Directorate in December 2024. The directorate will:
- encourage collaboration between all levels of government, international jurisdictions and organisations involved in decommissioning
- improve transparency across the decommissioning pipeline to help businesses plan their investment decisions
- be a trusted partner and advisor on decommissioning policy matters that cut across governments, the industry and the broader supply chain
- further strengthen our regulatory frameworks to give the community confidence that decommissioning will always remain the responsibility of the offshore industry
- ensure that decommissioning industry activities complement the Australian Government’s Future Made in Australia agenda.
Growing the decomissioning industry
We will build on Australia’s strengths to create a domestic decommissioning industry by acting across 5 key areas: